All teachers in Hong Kong will be required to renew a newly proposed practising certificate every three years to continue teaching, with the plan to take effect as early as 2027-28, the South China Morning Post has learned.
Sources also said on Thursday that substitute teachers would have to obtain these certificates through special arrangements. The measure is expected to affect more than 70,000 teachers in Hong Kong.
According to the Education Bureau, the move is to ensure that all teachers in Hong Kong remain fit to serve in schools. The education minister earlier said that a review of the teachers’ lifetime registration system was to meet the growing demand for such professionals in society.
This initiative comes years after the 2019 protests, during which some teachers were accused of radicalising students, leading to their professional registrations being revoked.
The details were revealed by education officials in a meeting with the sector on Wednesday, before the bureau tables the proposal to the Legislative Council’s education panel next Friday for discussion.
“Teachers will have to get their certificates renewed every three years if they want to continue to teach. This is in line with the current requirement of no less than 150 hours of continuing professional development activities in each three-year cycle,” an industry insider said.
