Hong Kong authorities to close down teachers’ complaints council, saying self-regulatory body is slow in handling protest-related cases
- Current term of Council on Professional Conduct in Education will be its last, members told at meeting on Wednesday
- Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung had recently criticised council for failing to deliver and hinted at its closure
Hong Kong authorities are closing down a self-regulatory body that has investigated complaints against teachers for almost three decades, tightening their grip on the education sector.
The Education Bureau also indicated it was unhappy the body had been slow in dealing with complaints against teachers related to the 2019 social unrest.
In a late-night statement on Wednesday, the bureau said the Council on Professional Conduct in Education would officially come to an end on May 1 when the current term of its 28 members finished.
“With the continuous development of the services provided by the government and professional education organisations over the past 30 years, the [council’s] role in maintaining teachers’ professional conduct and promoting the continuous professional development of teachers is no longer the same as when it was established,” the bureau said.
“After consulting the Education Commission, the [bureau] has decided that the [council] will officially come to an end upon expiry of the current term.”
It said it would follow up on cases being processed by the council, while future complaints against teachers would be investigated by schools, which would submit reports to the bureau.