Hong Kong teachers to be given 1 year to obtain practising certificates

Teachers in Hong Kong will be given a year to fulfil a proposed government requirement to obtain a practising certificate, in light of the large number of applications expected in the first 12 months of its implementation, the education minister has said.Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin on Friday also warned schools not to help teachers submit their applications if they found that educators had not completed enough hours of continuing professional development, among other requirements.“The practising certificate was proposed as the existing lifetime validity of teacher registration does not keep pace with the times, and there are rising expectations for education and … for teachers’ professional knowledge,” she told lawmakers in a panel meeting.Under the proposal, teachers from publicly funded schools, private schools, international schools and kindergartens must fulfil six requirements to obtain the practising certificate, valid for three years.The requirement does not extend to short-term substitute teachers and tutors at private tuition centres.To qualify for the certificate, educators must meet six criteria: hold a valid certificate of registration as a teacher or a permit to teach; be employed by a school as a teacher; declare any criminal convictions in the past three years; declare their willingness to uphold professional standards and abide by laws, including China’s constitution, the Basic Law and the national security law; attain 150 hours of continuing professional development in three years; and live in Hong Kong.