Two years into the new senior secondary curriculum, teachers of liberal studies are still facing much work-related stress, a survey found, suggesting the syllabus may be too ambitious.
The survey outcome runs counter to expectations that the teachers would have got used by now to teaching the compulsory subject, which seeks to help pupils understand social issues and develop critical thinking skills.
The average stress rating scored by 769 teachers of liberal studies was 7.9, a slight increase from the 7.7 in a similar survey conducted last year by the Professional Teachers' Union. The survey defines 10 as the maximum level of stress.
'This rate is alarmingly high. We had thought the situation would improve in the second year, with teachers gaining more experience and adapting better to the new curriculum,' said Ip Kin-yuen, education research director of the union.
More than 200,000 pupils have to study the subject under the new senior secondary structure, a jump from just several thousand two years ago when it was an elective subject taught only in some schools.
The survey, held in the past two months, found many teachers still lacked confidence in teaching the six topics that had to be covered in three years. The confidence rating was between five and six, with 10 being most confident. 'Some teachers who had attended training courses said the sessions did not help. Many didn't have the time to attend training,' said union president Fung Wai-wah.
