Section 4: Professional Development
Target
Frontline education workers are the key players in implementing
the education reform. To support the reform, the Government is putting
in lots of efforts to enhance the quality and professionalism of
the teaching force, through providing training and support as well
as formulating appropriate professional standards for teachers.
In realizing the vision of the reform, school principals play a
very vital role. The Government places much emphasis on promoting
the continuing professional development among school principals,
and assisting them in enhancing their professional leadership so
that they can lead teachers and students in facing the changes and
challenges of the new millenium. We would also encourage sharing
among school principals.
(1) The Professional Development of Teachers
Last Year's Progress
Kindergarten Teachers
- To meet the target that all new kindergarten teachers should
obtain the qualified
kindergarten teacher qualifications by the 2003/04 school
year, the Education Department has commissioned a number of one-year
full-time pre-service early childhood education courses to provide
200 and 440 training places in the 2000/01 and 2001/02 school
years respectively. The ED is reviewing the supply and demand
of teachers in order to decide on the number of training places
to be provided in the 2002/03 school year.
- To enable qualified kindergarten teachers to further their
studies, different early childhood teacher education providers
are now providing Certificate in Education (Kindergarten) training
places. As at the end of 2001, some 600 serving kindergarten teachers
had completed the Certificate in Education (Kindergarten) training.
A number of post-secondary institutions have also started to provide
Certificate in Education (Kindergarten) training or Bachelor of
Education (Early Childhood Education ) programmes. It is estimated
that around 330 teachers will complete the two types of courses
described above in 2002.
School Teachers
- The Education Department has provided a subsidy to the District
Teacher Network scheme for supporting 20 projects a year to disseminate
good teaching practices.
- To support the curriculum reform, a series of professional
development programmes and activities were organized to help teachers
enhance their knowledge and skills in curriculum development,
teaching and learning, assessment and school-based
curriculum development.
Tasks Ahead for the Coming Year
The Government will continue to work closely with the Advisory
Committee on Teacher Education and Qualifications and teacher education
providers to proceed with the following tasks:
- Developing a professional development ladder for teachers.
- Enhancing support for new teachers and actively exploring the
feasibility of establishing a mentorship
scheme .
- Reviewing the qualification requirements for teacher registration
to bring it in line with the upgrading of teachers' professional
status.
- Actively considering the mechanism for giving recognition to
distinguished teachers with a view to further enhancing teachers'
professional status.
- Strengthening the pre-service and in-service teacher education
in support of the implementation of the education reform.
- Improving the Education Department's Training Calendar System
and setting up a teacher databank to facilitate teachers, schools,
the Education Department and education providers in planning for
the provision of training and teachers' professional development.
(2) The Professional Development of Principals
Last Year's Progress
Early Childhood Education
- Starting from the 2001/02 school year, serving kindergarten
principals and child care centre supervisors will be provided
with 150 additional Certificate in Education (Kindergarten) training
places every year. The target is to enable all serving principals
and supervisors to receive the training before the end of the
2005/06 school year.
- Starting from the 2001/02 school year, a principalship training
course specifically designed for kindergarten principals and child
care centre supervisors was introduced. A total of 120 places
will be provided each year.
- An Expert Group on Certificate in Early Childhood Education
was formed in January 2001. The Group comprises representatives
from related education institutes, kindergartens, child care centres,
the Education and Manpower Bureau, the Education Department and
the Social Welfare Department. A course framework for the Certificate
in Early Childhood Education Course has been drawn up. Those who
have completed courses designed according to this framework are
recognised by the Education Department and the Social Welfare
Department as having fulfilled the training requirement for kindergarten
principals/child care centre supervisors.
School Education
- A series of specialised training programmes have been provided
to new school principals, including needs assessments, induction
programmes, leadership development programmes and continuing professional
education programmes. A total of 173 newly appointed principals
have received or will receive such training in the 2000/01 and
2001/02 school years.
- A variety of programmes covering curriculum development and
leadership, as well as the continuing professional development
of teachers were organized for serving principals. In addition,
these principals were encouraged to establish and expand their
own networks to facilitate professional sharing.
- Offshore programmes were organized to broaden the exposure
of serving principals to overseas developments on the basis of
which they could reflect on their current practices and try out
new ideas.
- A framework has been mapped out to outline different professional
development channels for potential, newly appointed and serving
principals to meet their development needs and those of the schools
and the community. The proposed framework was endorsed by the
Board of Education in late 2001.
Tasks Ahead for the Coming Year
- Providing professional development programmes to meet the needs
of serving and newly appointed principals
- Consulting the education sector on the proposed framework for
the continuing professional development of principals and how
it should be implemented.
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