bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

quizIds

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

paywallTypes

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Agnes Lam

The Education Bureau has been urged to introduce clear guidelines on part-time arrangements for teachers in order to retain talent  and allow time for further studies.
Education Convergence vice-chairman Ho Hon-kuen  said there was a growing trend for experienced teachers to apply for part-time posts.
'Though we have not conducted any study, among our network we know  many experienced teachers, who are mostly mothers, have switched to  part time because of family reasons, while others  want to continue their studies,' he said.
Mr Ho said   teachers chose to resign  because they were torn between their families and a heavy workload.
'It is a great loss to the teaching field that these experienced teachers  quit. There is a need for the bureau to issue  guidelines regarding how work will be arranged for teachers once they are part timers,' he said.
The bureau's website gives details on part-time  salaries,  but there is nothing about working hours and other employment arrangements.
'The present guidelines do not touch on how work should be arranged at all. Good principals do their best to cut teachers' workload by half, but some less capable ones just cut teachers' salaries by half and still give them lots of work,' he said.
Au Pak-kuen, of the Professional Teachers' Union,  agreed that guidelines should be issued.
'Most principals are considerate to  teachers' needs, but there are exceptions.  To make it easier for teachers in need to switch to part time, it would be better to have clearer guidelines,'   he said.
Susan Chan, who has taught  English at secondary schools for more than 10 years,  was diagnosed with depression three years ago and  now wants to switch to part time.
She asked to share work with a colleague, Mary Lam, who had high blood pressure, so that they could both have more time for rest.  But they said the  part-time contracts they were offered meant the teaching workload would be cut, but the time  in school would remain the same.
Miss Chan and  Miss Lam withdrew  their requests and remain working as full-time teachers.
'My boss insisted that we both have to go to school five days a week and  stay  until the last lesson ends. She says she does not want other teachers to feel bad if we are allowed to leave early,' Miss Chan said.  'I do not see why I have to suffer from a pay cut of 50 per cent. My salary would switch to a part-time payment, but my work would not.'
An Education Bureau spokeswoman  said schools and teachers should reach an agreement by discussing working arrangements in detail.  Either party  could consult  the bureau if they failed to reach an agreement, she added.



Clear guidelines needed for part-time work, say teachers