********************************************************
The Education Bureau (EDB) announced today (November 18) enhanced provisions for the Voluntary Optimisation of Class Structure Scheme to encourage more schools' participation, so as to provide the secondary school sector with a more stable environment and facilitate their sustainable development, as well as to improve the environment of teaching and learning and to enhance the quality of education.
"We are pleased that a general consensus has been reached with the school sector that optimisation of class structure in an orderly manner is the most effective and feasible solution to address the issue of declining student population at this moment.
"It is generally agreed that voluntary optimisation of class structure can stablilise the overall situation in the upcoming one to two years, maintain a good mix of different types of schools in each district and enable teachers to focus on teaching," a spokesman for the EDB said.
To encourage more schools to participate in the scheme with greater impact, the following enhanced measures with added flexibility have been worked out after intensive discussions and consultations with various stakeholders in recent months:
a) within the six years of class reduction, the school will be provided with a maximum quota of six teaching posts. If there are teachers leaving the school during that period, the school may use the quota flexibly to employ teachers, provided that the teaching staff establishment will not exceed that in the school year preceding the commencement of class reduction;
b) the additional teaching posts in the quota are within the approved establishment and can be counted for the purpose of calculating the senior teacher posts and the graduate teacher ratio of the school;
c) after the six-year transition period, the additional teaching posts will be withdrawn gradually over three years at a rate of two posts per year; and
d) if there are surplus teachers not being absorbed by redeployment within the school or through natural wastage after deploying the six quota, they will be tolerated during the nine-year period.
The spokesman said: "We expect that most schools can resolve their surplus teacher situation through natural wastage within nine years from the commencement of class reduction. If there are still surplus teachers in the tenth year, the school concerned may approach EDB, which will consider the case according to the actual needs of the school.
"We believe that the enhanced measures could help stabilise the schools and their teaching force and provide schools with sufficient manpower to sustain their development. Schools can therefore take the opportunity to create teaching space and optimise their learning environment, while further enhancing the quality of teaching."
A circular will be issued to schools shortly to set out the details of the enhanced measures. Secondary schools joining the scheme are required to submit applications to the EDB by February 25, 2011.
"The EDB will continue to encourage schools to join the scheme and actively help schools solve the possible problems they might encounter during the process of class structure optimisation."
"We hope that more schools will come forward and support the scheme which can help maintain a good mix of schools, stablise the teaching force and foster the sustainable development of schools," the spokesman added.
Ends/Thursday, November 18, 2010
Issued at HKT 20:07
NNNN