Hong Kong has its first school for principals

Preparing budgets, reviewing tenders for construction projects, and coping with inspection officials are among the growing number of duties confronting head teachers as the government launches academic reforms and new initiatives to boost the quality of education.

While university courses teach pedagogy and leadership theories, the skills needed to operate a school smoothly are often learned on the job by new principals

Now, a new professional institute aims to equip prospective head teachers with such skills by providing systematic training.

Established in November by 10 current and former head teachers, the Hong Kong Principals’ Institute runs training workshops and a mentorship programme. Former Executive Council convenor Lam Woon-kwong and Ocean Park chairman Allan Zeman have been among featured speakers at workshops.

Convener Anissa Chan Wong Lai-kuen, principal of St Paul’s Co-educational College, says the aim is to nurture future school leaders.

“Our statistics show that eight to 10 per cent of principals from the primary, secondary and kindergarten sector retired every year over the past seven years. We need a crop of new leaders to fill their posts,” she says.

Tsung Tsin College’s former principal, Robin Cheung Man-biu, says many vice-principals are reluctant to take the helm because of the stress involved in running a school. “Our previous survey showed that 85 per cent of them do not want to be promoted. They said that they don’t know what the job entails,” he says.