Student voices about educational inequalities and justice: Problematizing a neoliberal education system

Rising educational inequality is considered as one pressing social problem in many national education systems. There is limited existing literature that examines how youth from different social backgrounds perceive and consider social inequalities and “justice.” This study addresses this research gap by probing the perspectives of different young peoplewho have experienced the competitive Hong Kong education system through qualitative interviews. The findings revealed that youth, despite facing challenges, adopted a relatively “positive” mindset by focusing on what they could change rather than being fatalistic about social reproduction. Both middle-class and working-class young people in the sample did not view differences in family capital as inequalities but believed in education’s role in promoting social mobility within a meritocratic system. The study also suggests redefining “life successes” from traditional measures of status and wealth to the perspectives of students that value job and life satisfaction. Critical analyses that highlight the embedded neoliberalism were conducted on these problematic findings, and the implications for educational policies were discussed. Copyright © 2025 The Author(s).