Hong Kong’s No 2 official has said a proposed requirement for teachers to obtain a practising certificate was intended to help them and “not to make things difficult”, while the education minister has dismissed concerns from some in the sector about a lack of consultation over the initiative.
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Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki said on Friday the certificate was aimed at ensuring teachers had the latest knowledge and avoiding a situation where they might leave the profession for an extended period and rejoin without taking continuing education.
Education minister Christine Choi Yuk-lin explained the government had reviewed the lifetime registration system for teachers amid growing expectations for the role and the issuance of the certificate would be based on whether they had practised in the field and complied with the code of ethics.
Chan said it was important to maintain teachers’ professionalism at a certain level as the government attached great importance to the role.
He questioned whether a teacher who had been out of the classroom for a long time, such as a decade or longer, would still be connected to the profession and have the latest knowledge.
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“Our aim of the practising certificate system is not to make things difficult for teachers but to maintain their level of professionalism,” he said. “We are helping teachers maintain a good professional level for the sake of our students and education, and not to make things difficult for teachers.”