The need for professional development has led to a wide range of courses in the field of education INSTITUTIONS ARE offering a larger range of postgraduate courses to meet the rising need for professional development among teachers. 'Many teachers are under pressure to enhance their qualifications because more of their colleagues have undertaken postgraduate training and have more knowledge beyond the subjects they are teaching,' said Roger Cheng Hon-man, professional consultant to the Faculty of Education at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He said Master of Art degrees in counselling, curriculum development or educational administration were popular - particularly among principals and would-be principals. Chinese University is going to launch several part-time offers in the coming academic year, including an MA in curriculum development and the teaching of liberal studies, an MA in values education and a Master of Science in mathematics education. Liberal studies training is expected to be in high demand thanks to reforms to the senior secondary school curriculum due to be implemented in 2009, while the offer on values education comes in response to a demand from teachers who have undertaken certificate-level training at the university and want to explore the field further. Changes in the education scene brought about by reforms over the past few years have increased the pressure on teachers to upgrade their knowledge and skills rather than focus only on the subjects they teach. 'Our Master of Education course provides the latest information and theoretical knowledge about the profession. We also invite principals and teachers from various schools to share their best practices with students,' Dr Cheng said. 'If you have been teaching for 10 years and want to remain in the profession, you should pursue continuing education or you will lag behind and not be able to help your school move forward. 'The advantage of postgraduate training is it is systematic and comprehensive, and allows students to look at issues in depth. You will know how to find resources to support your work,' Dr Cheng said. Tse Shek-kam, associate dean of the University of Hong Kong's Faculty of Education, said the likelihood of schools closing or merging as a result of the declining birth rate had prompted teachers to opt for postgraduate studies to raise their competitiveness. The Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (Scolar) is offering a professional development grant of a maximum of $30,000 for language teachers pursuing training at degree or postgraduate level. Dr Tse's faculty has seen sharp increases in enrolments in programmes for English and Chinese teachers over the past couple of years. For example, the Master of Education in Chinese Language and Literature is now running two classes for 30 students. 'There was a long waiting list for it,' Dr Tse said. HKU is introducing a part-time Master of Education in Liberal Studies in September. The same area of concentration was launched by Baptist University's Department of Education Studies last September. 'The government is hoping teachers will set a good example for lifelong learning,' Dr Tse said. 'But teachers are busy with their work, and must strike a balance between their jobs, studies and rest. Teachers need not rush into finishing their master's studies in two years. Schools should provide leave for them to finish their courses.' Information on the Scolar grant is available at www.language-education.com