Nearly 40% of teachers deregistered in Hong Kong last year lost licences because of sexual offences
- Of 47 teachers deregistered in Hong Kong last year, 18 were fired for sexual offences
- Number of deregistration cases was more than double 21 recorded in 2022
Nearly 40 per cent of the 47 teachers deregistered in Hong Kong last year lost their licenses because they committed sexual offences, education authorities have said.
The second major reason for dismissals involved teachers committing other offences including common assault, possessing offensive weapons, incitement to commit criminal damage, unlawful assembly and rioting, which together accounted for nearly a quarter of the total.
The Education Bureau on Tuesday provided a detailed breakdown to the legislature of why it had cancelled the registration of 47 teachers.
The bureau “handles each and every case involving teachers” misconduct or unlawful acts seriously in accordance with the Education Ordinance and established procedures”, the paper said.
“If a teacher is found to have committed a serious offence or an act of immorality or professional misconduct, the [bureau] will cancel his or her teacher registration.
“We will not tolerate any professional misconduct of teachers,” the bureau warned.
Of the 47 cases, 18 teachers were deregistered for sexual offences, while 11 educators either committed common assault, possessed offensive weapons, incited others to commit criminal damage, took part in an unlawful assembly or rioted.
Seven teachers committed offences relating to child abuse, while another five were convicted of theft, fraud or robbery.