Teachers who have been deregistered may be able to regain their license if they can show improvement, Hong Kong’s education secretary has said, but that may not be the case for those ousted over “ethics” issues.
Choi Yuk-lin made her remarks during an RTHK programme on Tuesday, when she spoke of new professional conduct guidelines for the city’s educators. The guidelines, which were included in Chief Executive John Lee’s maiden Policy Address last Wednesday, are expected to be introduced by the end of the year.
The guidelines will clearly state the criteria of a “fit and proper” teacher, Choi said, as well as standards of professional conduct. For example, she said teachers should prepare their lessons and teaching materials well, stick to the teaching goals, and not to insert their personal opinions or “incorrect values.” An example of a moral misconduct would be using foul language or insulting students, Choi said.
A second chance
Under the new guidelines, teachers who have been stripped of their license to teach may be able to reregister after a certain period of time. There are currently four levels of penalties for teachers’ misconduct, ranging from being given a verbal warning, a written warning, written condemnation, and finally deregistration, the most serious one.
Choi said the authorities and the industry were of the view that some teachers deserve a second chance, but they would need to provide “strong evidence” to show that they had improved and were ready to teach again.
“For example, a teacher who fell short of their professional capability and taught the wrong thing in class, we think in this case they may take some additional training, show proof of that and show that they passed some kind of professional evaluation,” Choi said.
“But if it involves conduct and ethics, it will be harder,” she admitted.
When asked if it would be equally difficult for teachers who were involved in political incidents, the education chief said the authorities do not punish teacher for their political stance, but look at “whether the teacher distorted facts and did something they were not supposed to do.”
Choi said a panel would review each case to determine the penalty and whether the teacher should be given a second chance.
Six teachers have been disqualified from the profession for life over complaints linked to the 2019 protests, according to official documents.
New Basic Law test
The education secretary also defended a move to make newly appointed teachers, including kindergarten educators, take a new Basic Law and national security law test starting next school year. Some from the education sector questioned the need for kindergarten teachers to take the exam, saying they will not be teaching these subjects.
Choi said it is important for the teaching professionals to have basic knowledge of the city’s constitution, even though they may not offer such education to their students. There were useful concepts they could share with students, such as understanding mainland China and the importance of obeying the law, Choi said.
Newly appointed teachers in public sector schools are already required to pass the test in order to be considered for appointment. The requirement was extended to cover all Direct Subsidy Scheme schools, and kindergartens joining a government national education scheme.
The government announced details of the new test on Monday. There will be 20 multiple-choice questions and exam takers must get 10 correct in half an hour to pass. Teachers who do not hold a degree will have an extra five minutes to complete the test. The Education Bureau will conduct five rounds of testing this school year.
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