Teacher-to-class ratios

Principals Teachers Students Parents School Sponsoring Bodies School Councils/ EduBodies Views from schools Tertiary Sector General Public Media Others e.g. professional bodies, employers, LegCo, District councilors, Edu. City, political parties

Support

z 87% of 253 schools opted for Proposal I (1.7 / 1.9 ratio) assuming there is no change in the number of junior and senior classes (HK Subsidized Secondary Schools Council Survey)

z Welcome the formula of 1.7 and 1.9 per class on top of split class provision 9

z Find Proposal I as a start acceptable. The ratio should be improved as funding permits 9

Concerns/Suggestions

z Should not fix the teacher-to-class ratio at 1.7 and 1.9, which may reduce the total staff establishment in some schools. 9

z Suggest the formula: 1.7 X junior secondary classes +2 X senior secondary classes +Top-up provision (2) and LS teacher establishment +LS Support Grant + Diversity learning fund

z A different teacher-to-class ratio (basically 2:1 for both junior and senior secondary grades) is proposed. 9 9 9 9 9

z All existing split class provision should be maintained or increased according to future needs 9

z The teacher-to-class ratio should be increased to 2.3 in senior secondary classes 9 9 9

z Teacher to class ratio should be improved so that more choices of subject options could be provided for students and more cross-curricular learning could be developed

z Should retain the existing practice of rounding up the decimal places in calculating staff establishment. 9 9

z An increase from 1.7; 1.9 / 1.8; 2.0 to 1.9; 2.1 / 1.8; 2.0 is suggested. 9

z The proposed ratios which average out the split-class teaching will penalize teachers and schools providing diversity in curriculum

z Query the formula / criteria for calculating the provision of additional teachers for flexible grouping 9

z The rank structure of teachers has to be revised 9

z All teaching posts in secondary schools should be graduate posts 9 9

z Recruiting additional teachers on regular establishment to support the teaching of LS 9

Sources

School Sector

Feedback on

Supporting Measures (III)

z Should amend the relevant provisions under the Education Ordinance / Rules and Regulations to cater for more flexibility in the use of classrooms, laboratories and workshops, etc

z Worried about additional staff, e.g. librarians, now provided to schools will be cut, as a result of the revision of teacher to class ratio

z Worry about the readiness of hardwares, e.g. special rooms, laboratories, etc. in school to provide for flexible grouping under new curriculum

z EMI and Grant schools would suffer seriously under the proposed establishments for NSS as they would enjoy less top up provisions than CMI schools and their former split class arrangements would be absorbed under the new Proposals for teacher to class ratios. To maintain stability, morale and standard of operation, minimal disturbance/reduction of existing resources should be guaranteed, esp. during the transitional period.

Surplus teachers

z Worry that the proposed change in teacher to class ratio would lead to staff redundancy 9

z Over 90% of 253 schools prefer a toleration period of five or more years for surplus teachers starting from the year of implementation (HK Subsidized Secondary Schools Council Survey)

9 9

z Replacements should be allowed for surplus teachers holding key functional posts 9

z Schools should be allowed to choose which year to start the 5-year transitional period so that they could tackle the problem of surplus teachers.

z The 5-year transitional period to phase out the surplus teachers should be extended (to 8 years) and the 5 years should be counted with flexibility

9 9

z To extend the transitional period of surplus teachers to 8 or 10 years 9

z Special measures should be given to the Districts with rapid drop in pupil population so as to minimize the number of surplus teachers.

z Whether schools could opt to employ local teachers instead of NET to help resolve the problem of surplus teachers 9

z EMB should allow schools to employ contract teachers to fill its entitlement so as to avoid redundancy 9 Staff establishment

z Frozen the staff establishment before the year of implementation 9

Sources

School Sector

Feedback on

Supporting Measures (III)

Teacher-to-class ratios

z Provision of permanent post of IT technicians, Lab technicians according to class ratio 9

z Schools may deploy surplus Lab technicians to take up non-teaching posts 9

z The number of Lab technicians should be calculated according to the number of laboratories instead of the number of practical periods.

z Each school should be allowed to have at least 2 Lab technicians without considering the subjects and the no. of laboratories

z EMB should provide schools with sufficient number of Lab Technicians. Schools with 5 or more Laboratories should be allowed to have 3 Lab. Tech

z Worry that converting Workshop Instructors to contract term may affect the morale of the teachers in prevocational schools.

z The provision of workshop teachers should continue in the mainstreamed practical school/ prevocational schools/SOS as long as technical subjects are operated in the relevant workshops.

z Cash grants shall include the provision of severance payment / long service payment for contract staff. 9

z The eligibility of confirmed senior teachers should be reviewed annually and that incapable ones should step down. 9

z Additional teacher for split class teaching of Liberal Studies at junior forms could be provided from 2005/06 onwards to develop students’ capacities as early as possible.

z Teacher to class ratio for Science subjects should be increased because of safety in the laboratory. 9 9

z Schools provide many Arts and Crafts curricula in junior forms should be treated specially in calculation of staff establishment

9 9

Sources

School Sector

Feedback on

Supporting Measures (III)

在文檔中 Others e.g. professional bodies, employers, LegCo, District councilors, Edu. City, political parties (頁 44-47)