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The following is issued on behalf of the Committee on Teachers' Work:
The Chairman of the Committee on Teachers' Work, Professor Edmond Ko, today (December 19) submitted the committee's Final Report to the Secretary for Education and Manpower, Professor Arthur K C Li, with a series of recommendations to support teachers' work.
Professor Ko said: "We really appreciate the co-operation, support and invaluable views of frontline teachers, schools' managerial staff, principals, school management committees (SMC) and professional bodies, which have given the committee a greater insight into the work and problems of teachers over the past years. Upon completion of the report, I must extend my heartfelt thanks to them."
"The Committee noted the nine measures introduced by the Government earlier to support teachers' work, including the creation of additional permanent teaching posts, provision of funding and review of work procedures. Today I am glad on behalf of the committee to present our report and hope that the authorities, based on our recommendations, can continue to formulate and implement support measures together with members of the education sector.
"In the course of the study, we had a lot of opportunities to meet frontline teachers and we are impressed by their dedication and devotion to education. As long as it is related to students' learning and development, they are willing to deal with the work and manage the work stress incurred. Teachers' stress usually comes from a variety of sources, including heavy workload, the heightened expectation of various stakeholders for education, and the uncertainty arising from the declining birth rates," Professor Ko said.
"Teachers are generally supportive of education reforms which they agree can enhance education quality and benefit our students. However, the reforms have inevitably brought about new tasks and challenges and thus teachers need time, training and appropriate support to put them in place. In this connection, we have made a series of recommendations to match the needs at different levels."
At the school level, the committee was pleased to learn that many school leaders had prioritised their tasks and use of resources in flexible ways, such as employing teaching assistants and administrative staff to reduce teachers' administrative work. This could allow teachers to put their focus on teaching and learning. The committee recommended that school leaders should continue with their efforts in this respect. Schools, if necessary, could apply for funds to conduct a school-based independent review and identify the best methods to avoid excessive administrative work and paperwork.
At the teacher level, the committee believed that a healthy and harmonious working environment was of paramount importance to teachers. While leisure activities and support of relatives and friends are conducive to teachers' capability to cope with stress, schools could also take a proactive role in utilising the various community services, such as voluntary social services, medical consultancy services, and counselling services, to promote a healthy campus.
Meanwhile, the Government could provide teachers with paid study leave, enabling them to have time and space to reap the full benefits of training. Subject to the availability of necessary resources, it could also consider creating more permanent teaching posts and further improving the teacher-to-student ratio. Since teachers generally accepted reduced teaching load as an effective means of relieving workload, schools should exercise discretion to reduce teachers' teaching load, and where appropriate, flexibly adopt suitable class sizes to achieve the best teaching and learning outcomes.
For the past year, the committee reviewed more than 20 local and international studies on teachers' work, visited 14 schools of various types, and exchanged views with an advisory group, which was formed by members of education bodies, as well as various teacher education institutions, school councils and school sponsoring bodies. A consultancy firm was also commissioned to conduct surveys and case studies of some 7,000 teachers. These formed a solid basis for the committee to come up with an analysis and recommendations from an independent and impartial perspective.
The Education and Manpower Bureau will study the Final Report in detail and subsequently post it on its homepage.
Ends/Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Issued at HKT 16:57
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