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LCQ17: Work by The Committee on Teachers' Work
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    Following is a question by the Hon Cheung Man-kwong and a written reply by the Secretary for Education and Manpower, Professor Arthur K C Li, in the Legislative Council today (October 18):

Question:

     The Committee on Teachers' Work, set up in January this year by the Administration to review the current work situation of teachers, submitted an interim report to the Secretary for Education and Manpower in August. As the authorities have not published the report, the public cannot have a detailed understanding of the sources of pressure on teachers as identified therein, nor can they comment on or analyse the research methodology adopted by and conclusions of the report. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the contents of the report, including the research methodology adopted, subjects interviewed, bases of its arguments and the preliminary conclusions;

(b) given that the relevant expenses of the Committee were paid out of public funds, of the authorities' justifications for not publishing the report; and

(c) whether the authorities will require that reports submitted by public-funded committees be published; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

Madam President,

(a) The Committee on Teachers' Work (the Committee) was set up at the beginning of this year to review the work situation of local teachers from an objective perspective. It will also make recommendations to the Education and Manpower Bureau on measures that will help alleviate teachers' workload.

     The Committee's interim report of August 2006 set out information and observations on the job nature, workload and pressure of teachers. It was prepared on the basis of a comprehensive literature review, in addition to survey studies and interviews involving thousands of stakeholders in the school sector, as well as school visits.

     The Committee has made some useful observations, for instance, that it is the nature and not the quantity of work that matters most to teachers, and that the total working hours of a teacher in Hong Kong is comparable to those of other professions in Hong Kong. The Committee has also identified strategies which schools and teachers have used to relieve pressure.

     The Committee is now consolidating its findings and will put forth recommendations towards the end of the year.

(b) Further deliberations and studies are still needed for the Committee to develop its interim report into a final one. To avoid exerting influences on the Committee, the interim report will not be published.

(c) It is for individual bureaux or departments responsible for the studies to decide whether a study report should be made public. In making the decision, they will take into account factors such as the purpose and nature of the study, and the sensitivity of the data or information collected.

Ends/Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Issued at HKT 13:41

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