Two Macau teachers who were controversially sacked in July, allegedly for making candid remarks to the education director, say they have been offered new positions by the government.
However, a government spokeswoman this week refused to confirm the appointments, saying 'there is no announcement to make'.
The teachers, one of whom is the head of a teachers' union, hailed the offer as a good compromise, but said they were disappointed the offers were non-teaching posts.
Music teacher Chan Lap-kuan said he and maths teacher Eric Lou Heong-in would continue to fight for better rights for teachers hired under government contracts.
'Our ultimate wish is to teach in the same school again, but it's likely we are going to take the offers,' said Mr Chan, who is the head of the public teachers' union, Associacao Educativa da Funcao Publica de Macau. This week's development follows a two-month fight by the teachers to keep their jobs.
They claimed their employment contracts were terminated in July after making unfavourable comments against the administration of the government-run school Escola Luso-Chinesa Tecnico-Profissional, during a meeting with the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau director Sou Chio-fai last November.