Staff influx to relieve stressed teachers
An extra 1,400 teachers will be hired and 1,400 switched from contract to permanent employment under measures to relieve teacher stress, the education minister revealed yesterday.
Secretary for Education and Manpower Arthur Li Kwok-cheung also insisted school closures as a result of falling enrolments must continue and language teachers would still be required to meet the August deadline for proficiency standards.
'I hope teachers will be able to work with peace of mind and focus on teaching,' he said, announcing a package estimated to cost the government $1.76 billion a year.
Professor Li's announcement came ahead of a Professional Teachers' Union forum to air concerns about education reforms.
He insisted the latest changes were not designed to detract from the forum.
However, education groups criticised the measures. Union president and legislator Cheung Man-kwong - who complained the measures were insufficient - said the forum would go ahead on Saturday and a petition would be handed to Professor Li and Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen.
The package also includes introduction of specialised teaching to all primary schools and setting the class-teacher ratio in whole-day primary schools at 1:1.5 compared with the current 1:1.4.
Of the 1,400 staff to be hired on a permanent basis, 620 will be primary school curriculum leaders. More teachers will be provided for junior levels at secondary schools.
Professor Li said schools could 'adopt group teaching according to students' ability', and the improved ratio would enable schools to practise 'small-class teaching'.
