All ordinary day schools, special schools and education organisations are invited to nominate candidates for the 13th election of the Council on Professional Conduct in Education (CPC).

     "Each day school may nominate one serving regular registered teacher, including the school head, to stand for election," a spokesman for the Education Bureau said today (January 10).

     "Teachers may also run for election as independent candidates if they have the support of 60 serving teachers teaching in the same type of school.

     "Local teacher education universities and school sponsoring bodies, as well as school councils, associations of school principals and associations of teachers which have been approved to join the Hong Kong Teachers' Centre as organisation-members on or before December 31, 2018 are also invited to make nominations," the spokesman added.

     The CPC has a total of 28 seats under four categories – the teacher-nominated category (13), the organisation-nominated category (8), the parent representative-nominated category (3) and the Permanent Secretary for Education-nominated category (4). Candidates elected to the CPC will serve a two-year term from May 1, 2019 to April 30, 2021.

     Nominations should reach the bureau by noon on February 22, and voting for the teacher-nominated category will be held on April 10. The bureau calls on teachers, schools and education organisations to support and participate in the forthcoming election campaign.

     The CPC is a non-statutory body set up in April, 1994, following the recommendation of the Education Commission in its Report No. 5. Its terms of reference are:

* To advise the Government on measures to promote professional conduct in education;
* To draft operational criteria defining the conduct expected of an educator and to gain widespread acceptance of these criteria among all sectors of the education community through consultation; and
* To advise the Permanent Secretary for Education on cases of disputes or alleged professional misconduct involving educators.

     Enquiries about the election can be made by telephone on 2780 8432, by email to cpcoffice@edb.gov.hk or in writing to Room 702, 7/F, Kowloon Government Offices, 405 Nathan Road, Kowloon.    

Ends/Thursday, January 10, 2019
Issued at HKT 15:30

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