80% of deregistered teachers in Hong Kong involved in offences such as child abuse

More than 80 per cent of 71 teachers deregistered in Hong Kong last year lost their licences for committing criminal offences such as theft, deception and child abuse, education authorities have revealed.

The number of teachers involved in inappropriate relationships with students also more than doubled to eight cases last year from three in 2023.

The Education Bureau on Tuesday said 59 of the teachers deregistered in 2024 had committed unlawful acts, including 10 who were involved in offences relating to child abuse. Fifteen were convicted of acts such as unlawful assembly, possession of offensive weapons or dangerous drugs, and rioting.

Twenty-eight were deregistered for offences relating to theft and deception compared with five in 2023. Sex offence cases dropped from 18 in 2023 to six last year.

The bureau provided a detailed breakdown explaining why it cancelled the registration of the 71 teachers, a 51 per cent increase from 47 in 2023.

Authorities said they were committed to upholding the professional conduct of teachers and had been continually performing their gatekeeping role through the registration of educators and school management.