Basic Provision
Upon the implementation of the New Senior Secondary (NSS) academic structure from the 2009/10 school year, the staffing ratios for primary classes and junior secondary classes are 1.7 teachers per class, and the staffing ratio for senior secondary classes is 1.9 teachers per class. These staffing ratios have embedded the Additional Teachers for All Special Schools6. With effect from the 2012/13 school year, the staffing ratio for senior secondary classes of special schools offering the ordinary curriculum will be 2.0 teachers per class. The teaching posts provided under the teacher-to-class ratios above are referred to as the Basic Provision.
Additional Provision
Starting from the 2017/18 school year, the above teacher-to-class ratios are increased by 0.1 teacher per class, i.e. Additional Provision. The additional teaching post(s) so created in the secondary section is/are at Graduate Master/Mistress (GM) rank. With effect from the 2020/21 school year, the post(s) is/are included in calculating promotion posts.
For the primary section, the additional teaching post(s) so created is/are at the rank of Assistant Primary School Master/Mistress (APSM) and not included in calculating the promotion posts and ratio of graduate teacher posts in the teaching staff establishment.
The number of teachers will be calculated separately for the primary and secondary sections. Any decimal teacher entitlement arising from the calculation of the foregoing staffing ratios will be provided as GM and APSM in the secondary and primary sections respectively. Schools may keep the fractional teacher posts, which will not be counted towards the calculation of promotion posts or graduate teacher ratio, in the teaching staff establishment. Alternatively, schools may opt for encashing the fractional teacher posts calculated at the mid-point salary of GM and APSM respectively.
(updated on 1 September 2020) 2. Ranking of Teaching Staff
(a) Principal of School
In schools with more than 3 classes, the calculation is exclusive of the
6 Additional Teachers for All Special Schools include Resource Teacher for Supportive Educational Programmes, Teacher Librarian and teacher for spilt-class teaching.
post of the Principal of the school. The ranking of Principal is shown in Attachment A.
(b) Vice-principal / Deputy Head of School
In a primary special school with 12 – 17 equivalent ordinary primary classes, 1 Primary School Master/Mistress (PSM) post will be re-ranked to the Senior Primary School Master/Mistress (SPSM) rank for the deputy head; in a primary special school with 18 – 23 equivalent ordinary primary classes, 2 PSM posts will be re-ranked to the SPSM rank for deputy heads; and in a primary special school with 24 equivalent ordinary primary classes or more, 3 PSM posts will be re-ranked to the SPSM rank for deputy heads.
In a secondary special school with 12 - 23 equivalent ordinary secondary classes, 2 Senior Graduate Master/Mistress (SGM) posts will be re-ranked to the Principal Graduate Master/Mistress (PGM) rank for vice-principals; and in a secondary special school with 24 equivalent ordinary secondary classes or more, 3 SGM posts will be re-ranked to the PGM rank for vice-principals.
In a special school with both primary and secondary sections and with 11 equivalent ordinary secondary classes or less, 1 PSM post will be re-ranked to the SPSM rank for the deputy head at its primary section. In a special school with both primary and secondary sections and with 12-23 equivalent ordinary secondary classes, 1 SGM post will be re-ranked to the PGM rank for the vice-principal at its secondary section and 1 PSM post will be re-ranked to the SPSM rank for the deputy head at its primary section. In a special school with both primary and secondary sections and with 24 equivalent ordinary secondary classes or more, 1 SGM post will be re-ranked to the PGM rank for the vice-principal at its secondary section and 1 PSM post will be re-ranked to the SPSM rank for the deputy head at its primary section. For the third deputy head, they are allowed to opt for the provision of vice-principal / deputy head either at the secondary section or the primary section. (updated on 1 September 2020)
(c) Teacher Assisting in Speech Therapy (TAST)
A special school for children with hearing impairment (HI) may appoint TASTs at the ratio of 1 for 3 classes of which one post must be offset by a speech therapist.
The number of TASTs is calculated for the school as a whole.
Where fractional staff results, this will be rounded up when it reaches 0.5, otherwise it will be rounded down. The resulting number will then be apportioned between the primary and secondary sections of the special school in accordance with the number of classes in each section, in such a way that no fractional staff for either section will
result. TASTs form part of the teaching establishment of the school.
(updated on 1 September 2019) (d) Mobility Instructor
A special school for children with visual impairment (VI) or special school for children with visual impairment cum intellectual disability (VI cum ID) may appoint 0.5 mobility instructor per class. Mobility instructors will be calculated in accordance with the number of classes in each of the primary and secondary section and be included in the calculation of the teaching staff establishment for the relevant section.
Mobility instructors are reckoned as members of the teaching establishment of the school. (updated on 1 September 2020)
(e) Resource Teacher (RT)
(i) Resource Teacher for Children with Visual Impairment
A special school for children with VI may appoint RTs to teach students with VI (those with total blindness, severe low vision or moderate low vision) who are registered under Resource Support Programme (RSP) and attending ordinary schools or special schools other than that for children with VI, at the ratio of 0.5 RT to 3 students (braille users) and 0.5 RT to 5 students (non-braille users).
RTs for students of ordinary secondary schools and for students pursuing ordinary curriculum in the secondary section of special schools will be reckoned as members of the teaching establishment of the secondary section while those for students of ordinary primary schools and for students of the special schools other than those pursuing the ordinary curriculum will be reckoned as members of the teaching establishment of the primary section.
The number of RTs under the RSP included in the staff entitlement is capped. Any additional RTs incurred on top of the capped entitlement would be provided in form of cash grant, i.e.
the Staff Encashment Grant. The Education Bureau may review the cap as and when required. School should refer to relevant circular letter currently in force for the entitlement of the RTs and the amount of the Staff Encashment Grant incurred.
(updated on 1 September 2019)
(ii)Resource Teacher for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
A special school for children with intellectual disability (ID), a special school for children with VI, a special school for children with HI and a special school for children with physical disability (PD) may appoint additional RT in its primary section for children with ASD, at the following provision ratio:
No. of children with ASD #No. of RTs provided Every 6 requiring remedial
teaching programme
0.5
# The additional teaching post is approved on the understanding that the operation of remedial teaching programme for autistic children is justified by the actual enrolment of students with ASD in the school.
The post will be clawed back when it is no longer justified.
(updated on 1 September 2019)
(iii) Resource Teacher for Enhanced Support Service (ESS) for Students with Hearing Impairment
A special school for children with HI may appoint
• additional RT in its primary section to provide support to students with HI who are attending ordinary primary schools and in need of additional support, at the ratio of 1 teacher for 1 unit. The size of a unit is 1 – 25 students.
• additional RT in its secondary section to provide support to students with HI who are attending ordinary secondary schools and in need of additional support, at the ratio of 1 teacher for 1 unit. The size of a unit is 1 – 20 students.
• additional RT in its primary section and secondary section to provide support to students with HI who are attending aided special schools and in need of additional support, at the ratio of 1 teacher for 1 unit. The size of a unit is 1-50 students.
(updated on 1 September 2019)
• one senior teacher at SGM rank to undertake the duties of planning, development and monitoring of ESS for ordinary and special schools, which mainly include –
- planning, developing and implementing the support services for ESS students;
- overseeing the professional advice, counselling and guidance, and training for teachers and parents in centre-based and/or school-based support services;
- enhancing the support of ESS students in need of sign language to assist communication and learning, and providing support for teaching staff in ordinary schools the ESS students enrolled; and
- planning and coordinating the professional development for RTs.
The number of RTs under the ESS included in the staff entitlement is capped. Any additional RTs incurred on top of the capped entitlement would be provided in form of cash grant, i.e. the Staff Encashment Grant. The Education Bureau may review the cap as and when required. School should refer to
relevant circular letter currently in force for the entitlement of the RTs and the amount of the Staff Encashment Grant incurred.
(updated on 1 September 2018)
(f) Teacher for Senior Secondary Support Programme
Hospital School may appoint 1.5 teachers at GM rank for a Senior Secondary Support Programme. The additional teacher posts will not be counted towards the calculation of promotion posts or graduate teacher ratio. The School may keep the fractional teacher post in the teaching establishment or opt for a cash provision calculated on the basis of the mid-point salary of GM.
(updated on 1 September 2009) (g) Low-vision Training Teacher
A special school for children with VI or special school for children with VI cum ID may, subject to the needs identified, appoint not more than 1 additional teacher in its primary section for delivering low-vision training programme. The school is entitled to 0.5 or 1 additional teacher if the workload of the low-vision training service is below or over 50% of the workload of a full-time teacher respectively.
(updated on 1 September 2019)
(h) Additional Senior Teacher Post of English
An additional senior teacher post, to be offset by a post in the rank of APSM, is provided to each primary special school/special school with primary section that operates six or more primary classes and adopts the ordinary school curriculum to provide curriculum leadership in the teaching of English to improve co-ordination, planning and methodology. The conditions for appointment to the additional post are at Section 5. (updated on 1 September 2019)
(i) Primary School Curriculum Leader
With effect from the 2020/21 school year, each special school with a primary section, regardless of the number of approved classes, is entitled to the provision of a Primary School Curriculum Leader post at the PSM rank. (updated on 1 September 2020)
(j) Additional Posts from the Senior Secondary Curriculum Support Grant (SSCSG) and/or the Career and Life Planning Grant (CLPG) With effect from the 2016/17 school year, schools are allowed to turn the SSCSG and/or CLPG into regular teaching posts to provide more stable teacher manpower for schools to enhance the implementation of senior secondary curriculum and strengthen the development of life planning education and related guidance services. Upon conversion of SSCSG, each school would be provided with 0.1 GM per senior secondary class. As for conversion of CLPG into post, each school operating senior secondary class(es) would be provided with 1 GM.
Starting from the 2019/20 school year, the regular teaching posts
converted from the two grants will be counted towards the calculation of promotion post entitlement. The two grants are to be converted into regular teaching posts across the board before the 2022/23 school year. (updated on 1 September 2019)
(k) Expansion of Graduate Post in Special Schools
Starting from the 2019/20 school year, all teaching posts on the approved establishment of aided schools are graduate teacher posts with the full implementation of the all graduate teaching force policy.
(updated on 1 September 2019)
(l) Graded Post within the Establishment
The number of posts in each rank is determined by making reference to the following attachments:
Attachment B Teaching Staff Establishment for Primary Classes in Special Schools
Attachment C Teaching Staff Establishment for Secondary Classes in Special Schools
(updated on 1 September 2019)
B. Non-teaching Staff Establishment