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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, Mr Joseph W P Wong, in the Legislative Council today (May 10):

Question:

In respect of the appointment of Certificated Masters/Mistresses as Primary School Masters/Mistresses, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the justifications for capping the maximum number of Primary School Master/Mistress (Senior Teacher) posts at 35 per cent of the total number of senior teacher posts in each Government Primary School; of the reasons for not subjecting Aided Primary Schools to this requirement; whether it has assessed if the incentive for Certificated Masters/Mistresses to pursue further studies will be dampened by the fact that all Primary School Master/Mistress (Senior Teacher) posts for which a quota has been set are filled; if the assessment result is in the negative, of the rationale for that;

(b) of the respective numbers of serving Certificated Masters/Mistresses at various ranks to be appointed as Primary School Masters/Mistresses, vacant posts in the Primary School Master/Mistress grade, as well as serving Certificated Masters/Mistresses who are qualified but will not be appointed as Primary School Masters/Mistresses in Government Primary Schools for the coming academic year; and

(c) whether it has plans to relax the requirement that the number of Primary School Master/Mistress grade posts in each Primary school should not exceed 35 per cent of the teaching staff establishment of the school?

Reply:

Madam President,

(a) To accelerate the pace of enhancing the quality of primary school teachers, the Government decided in 1999 to advance the target year of upgrading 35 per cent of the overall teaching posts in government and aided primary schools to graduate primary posts from the 2007/08 school year to the 2001/02 school year. A total of 1 380 graduate primary posts were provided in government and aided primary schools in the 1998/99 school year. For the 1999/2000 to 2001/02 school years, the annual provision will be increased to 1 640. The percentage of graduate primary posts in the total number of teaching posts in government and aided primary schools will be increased gradually from about 20 per cent in the 1999/2000 school year to 35 per cent in the 2001/02 school year.

In regrading non-graduate post to graduate post, the Education Department has, subsequent to consultation with relevant bodies, adopted a top-down approach as recommended in Education Commission Report No. 5 whereby non-graduate posts at the upper ranks are given priority in regrading to graduate posts.

Since in government schools, the promotion of teachers has to be considered against the overall staff establishment, it is important to develop a reasonable staffing structure. The Government, with the advice and support of the Union of Government Primary School Headmasters and Headmistresses and the Government Educational Staff Union, has decided to regrade all headship and deputy headship posts as well as some 35% of the senior teacher posts to graduate teacher posts, and to allocate the remaining graduate posts to Assistant Primary School Master/Mistress posts. Based on this principle, individual government primary schools may make arrangements appropriate to their own circumstances.

As for aided primary schools, the Education Department, having consulted relevant bodies, decided that a more flexible approach should be adopted. After regrading the headship and deputy headship posts to graduate posts, individual aided primary schools may, in consultation with their teaching staff, draw up a school-based grade structure geared to their actual needs and circumstances, provided that the number of graduate teaching posts do not exceed 35 per cent of the overall teaching posts (including headship and deputy headship posts) of the school.

The above arrangements are drawn up after consultation with relevant bodies and it is therefore envisaged that the incentive for Certificated Masters/Mistresses to pursue further studies will not be dampened.

(b) In the 2000/01 and 2001/02 school years, the numbers of non-graduate posts in government primary schools to be regraded to graduate posts are estimated as follows:

                                   2000/01     2001/02




Assistant Masters/Mistresses        6           -




Certificated Masters/Mistresses   115         120

It is estimated that about 350 Certificated Masters/Mistresses in government primary schools are degree holders.

(c) The Government does not have plan at the moment to increase the percentage of graduate primary posts to over 35 per cent of the overall teaching posts in government and aided primary schools.

End/Wednesday, May 10, 2000

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