Critics say staff shortages make redeployment proposal unrealistic

Teachers of English said yesterday the proposed proficiency test would mean heavier workloads for those who met the benchmark standard. The concern follows remarks by Education Secretary Fanny Law Fan Chiu-fan that teachers who failed the test would be assigned other subjects.

Many teachers said they thought the proposed redeployment would be an unrealistic move. 'If those English teachers who fail to meet the benchmark are redeployed to teach other subjects, the workload of those who remain will increase,' said Susan Cheung, who teaches English at a Kowloon school.

Nelson Lau Ming-ki, a member of the Union of Heads of Aided Primary Schools, said there were difficulties arranging teachers to specialise in English at primary schools.

'There is such a shortage of teachers who are trained in English at primary schools that I don't see that those who are doing well in the area can be loaded with more English classes,' said Mr Lau, principal of a primary school in Yuen Long.

The chairman of the pressure group Education Convergence, Choi Kwok-kwong, said those who failed to meet the benchmark by the end of the 2005/06 academic year might face dismissal.

'Although officials reiterated that they will not be sacked, there will be urgency for the schools concerned to replace them with competent English teachers. The Government only kicked the ball to the schools,' he said.