Novice pay scheme is a classic case of thinking inside the box

Sometimes it's not so much a matter of thinking outside the box as it is simply realising that there is a box. Such is the case with the Education Bureau's announcement that it is seeking to introduce a different pay scheme for all future teacher recruits hired by local government schools.

The new scheme will essentially pay novices more than earned by some current veteran teachers. Thus, a teacher brimming with textbook knowledge but low on practical skills and just beginning his or her career will earn the same or even more than a teacher who has already been working several years in the system and who has considerably more practical knowledge, credible work experience and professional acumen.

Ultimately, this pay format will prove problematic for not only veteran and new teachers alike, but also administrators, parents and of course, students. Bureaucratic shortsightedness and insensitivity of this calibre deserves to be an Olympic demonstration sport.

Whatever the bureau's dubious rationale was for creating this blatantly ageist salary format, it seemed completely oblivious to the natural laws of supply and demand that both itself and virtually all other public school systems worldwide have traditionally adhered to; experience warrants more pay.

Admittedly, paying teachers a high salary is something of a catch-22 in that such a scheme is susceptible to attracting those whose motivations are largely money-based. Yet, in order to attract, cultivate and ultimately retain veteran talent, both public and private educational systems reward those who pay their dues and perform well with further incentives with annual pay raises, increased benefits and bonuses.

So why fix what isn't broken? Plenty of seasoned teachers are remaining in the system, accruing years of service, applying the benefits of their years of experience to improving teaching and receiving yearly pay increases in turn.

What more could the Education Bureau want? Isn't there a more pressing directive awaiting on how to climb stairs or a reform initiative on eliminating lunch time altogether so as to fit an extra lesson into the timetable? Given that local Hong Kong schools are closing down due to lack of sufficient enrolment numbers and thus laying off teachers, it's reasonable to concede that this is more a case of the bureau trying to be seen improving recruitment without having to actually pony up with any sizable amount of cash.