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In response to the Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union (HKPTU) expressing views on the five-year toleration period for surplus teachers in aided secondary schools under the new senior secondary structure (NSS), the Education and Manpower Bureau (EMB) today (April 26) issued the following statement to make clarification:
"The document on the new academic structure for senior secondary education and higher education issued in 2005 (paragraph 11.26) has stated clearly that schools will be allowed a five-year transitional period to absorb, through turnover, any surplus teachers which might arise due to the implementation of the new teachers-to-class ratio under NSS," an EMB spokesman reiterated.
"As for teacher redundancy in schools with reduction of classes or the subject mismatch of teachers, we have set aside $520 million for implementing the Early Retirement Scheme for Aided Secondary School Teachers as an option for teachers. The Scheme for the current year is now open for application until May 7."
To render further assistance, the EMB has encouraged schools to fill vacancies with suitable surplus teachers. If necessary, the Bureau will ask schools to provide vacancies information for uploading on to its website to facilitate surplus teachers to look for alternative employment. It will also employ suitable surplus teachers to assist in curriculum development or school-based professional support services.
In fact, the EMB has implemented a series of support measures since last year to stabilise the teaching force. These include, starting from the 2006/07 school year, providing secondary schools, in three years' time, with additional teaching posts to better care for Band Three and bottom 10% students. This involves 1,050 permanent posts, including 730 new posts.
The Bureau will also cap the enrolment at 40 per class from Secondary One beginning in the 2007/08 school year to avoid over-enrollment in some schools and alleviate the impact of the declining student population on the others.
With the introduction of NSS, all students will have the opportunity to receive a six-year secondary education, creating additional teaching posts. Extra teachers will be required when the new and old academic structures co-exist. The EMB will continue to monitor the demand and supply of teachers and consider adjusting the standard class size in the 2012/13 school year.
Regarding PTU's claim that surplus school places were the result of poor planning on the part of the Government, the EMB emphasised that the decline in student population in recent years was a variable which was unforeseen. In fact, the majority of school buildings completed in the past five years were for supporting established policies such as conversion of bi-sessional schools into whole-day operation, reprovisioning of schools housed in sub-standard premises and the introduction of Direct Subsidy Scheme schools and Private Independent Schools which are welcomed by parents. These school projects were not premised upon changes in the student population.
Furthermore, among those premises vacated by schools which have already ceased operation, most are in fact no longer suitable for the operation of schools. For those which are suitable to be recycled for education purposes, including those which have undergone school improvements, the Bureau has been reallocating the premises progressively in an attempt to make gainful uses of available resources.
"We have all along been liaising with the education sector over the five-year toleration period and will inform schools of the implementation details within the next few months to facilitate their manpower planning. If there is any school with genuine difficulties under NSS, we are willing to have further discussions on a case-by-case basis," the spokesman added.
Ends/Thursday, April 26, 2007
Issued at HKT 20:57
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