Effective Middle School Managers for Inclusive Education in Hong Kong

This chapter examines the critical role of middle managers, such as department heads, vice-principals, and curriculum coordinators, in advancing educational inclusion within Hong Kong’s unique socio-cultural and political context. As a globalised city with deep-rooted Confucian traditions, Hong Kong’s schools operate at the intersection of hierarchical governance, multicultural student populations, and evolving socio-political expectations under national security education frameworks. This chapter argues that middle managers, often overlooked in top-down diversity policies, can play a crucial role in bridging institutional mandates and classroom realities, particularly in environments where cultural dynamics and power hierarchies influence inclusive educational outcomes. The chapter offers a theoretical framework by synthesising global inclusion theories with localised concepts such as Confucian pedagogies, collectivist classroom dynamics, and Hong Kong’s postcolonial identity in education. The chapter integrates critical analysis and extended case studies from Hong Kong’s school system to analyse how middle school managers navigate inclusion challenges under four themes: mediating cultural tensions, negotiating power and agency, navigating political sensitivities, and innovating pedagogy. The chapter discusses various implications related to theory, practices, and research.