Task Force on Professional Development of Teachers launches consultation on preliminary recommendations
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The Chairperson of the Task Force, Dr Carrie Willis, said, "As our society is changing rapidly, the teaching profession must keep pace with the times and strive for continuous development so that we can better prepare our students for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. An effective and strategic approach to supporting and promoting teachers' continuing professional development is thus of paramount importance.
"Set up in November 2017, the Task Force has studied the feasible options for establishing a professional ladder for teachers; the ranking arrangement of school management in primary, secondary and special schools; and the timetable for an all-graduate teaching force. The aims of the Task Force are to put forward recommendations from different perspectives to further promote the culture of continuing professional development among the teaching profession; accord due recognition to, and raise the professional status of teachers; retain and attract talents into the profession; and ultimately enhance the professional standards of teachers and the quality of learning and teaching."
The Task Force has proposed a total of 20 preliminary recommendations, of which the major ones are: to build on the present foundation to establish a Professional Ladder for Teachers, which could be extensively applicable to the entire teaching profession to enhance teachers’ professional growth and raise teachers' professional status, and promote the Professional Ladder for Teachers at all levels including the individual, school and system levels; establish systematic, multilevel and diversified commendation schemes for teachers to recognise their contributions; review the manpower arrangement at the middle-management level, ranking or salary arrangements for principals and vice-principals, etc, to enhance the school management ranking and deployment arrangements, thereby advancing the career prospects of teachers; and implement the policy for an all-graduate teaching force as soon as practicable to raise the professional status of teachers.
The Consultation Document of the Task Force on Professional Development of Teachers has been uploaded to the EDB's website (www.edb.gov.hk/en/about-edb/press/consultation/index.html). Stakeholders are invited to send their views and suggestions to the Task Force by post (Professional Development and Training Division, Education Bureau, Room 1110, 11/F, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong), by fax (3798 0105) or by email (tftpd@edb.gov.hk) on or before September 7, 2018.
In addition, the Task Force will hold three identical briefing-cum-consultation sessions during the consultation period to directly listen to the views of the stakeholders. Details are as follows:
Session A
Date: July 14 (Saturday)
Time: 9.30am to 11am
Venue: Sham Shui Po Government Primary School, 101 Sham Mong Road, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon
Session B
Date: July 16 (Monday)
Time: 2.30pm to 4pm
Venue: Sham Shui Po Government Primary School, 101 Sham Mong Road, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon.
Session C
Date: July 17 (Tuesday)
Time: 6pm to 7.30pm
Venue: Room WP01, West Block, EDB Kowloon Tong Education Services Centre, 19 Suffolk Road, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon.
Those who would like to attend the briefing cum consultation sessions are advised to reserve seats at the EDB's website (www.edb.gov.hk/en/teacher/consultation-tftpd/index.html) on or before July 12. Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Following the Chief Executive's 2017 Policy Address, various Task Forces were set up to review certain areas of education policy. The Task Force on Professional Development of Teachers was one of them. Over the past seven months, the Task Force has studied the issues related to the enhancement of professional development of teachers and arranged focus group meetings with various stakeholders, including school sponsoring bodies and representatives from primary, secondary and special schools, as well as teacher groups and parent groups, to listen to their views.
Ends/Friday, July 6, 2018
Issued at HKT 16:46
Issued at HKT 16:46
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