Teacher Education and Quality Pre-service and in-service teacher education programmes, at sub-degree and degree levels, are provided by tertiary institutions funded through the University Grants Committee (UGC). In-service professional development courses for teachers are provided by the Education Department, the Hong Kong Baptist University, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd) and the University of Hong Kong (including their respective continuing and professional education units), the Open University of Hong Kong and professional organisations. In the 1999-2000 academic year, the HKIEd offered 56 pre-service and in-service teacher training courses at sub-degree, degree and postgraduate levels for about All pre-service training courses provided by the HKIEd for primary and secondary school teachers at sub-degree level are being progressively upgraded to degree or higher level at the HKIEd and other institutions providing teacher education programmes. Starting from 2004-05, all new graduates of pre-service training programmes for primary and secondary school teachers will be degree holders. Hong Kong Teachers' Centre The Hong Kong Teachers' Centre, set up in 1989 to promote professionalism and a sense of unity among teachers, is supervised by a widely represented advisory management committee. There are two branches, one in North Point, the other in Hung Hom. The centre is staffed by the Education Department. During the year, it published newsletters and other resource materials for teachers, and organised or jointly organised with educational organisations 73 professional/personal development activities for over Language Proficiency of English and Putonghua Teachers As part of the Government's comprehensive strategy to enhance students' language proficiency, proficiency levels have been specified and benchmark requirements for English and Putonghua teachers established, with the assistance of the Advisory Committee on Teacher Education and Qualifications. These specifications provide an objective reference against which to gauge a teacher's proficiency, so as to help teachers pursue continuous professional development. All serving English and Putonghua teachers are allowed five years to demonstrate, through subsidised training or assessments, that they have met the basic language proficiency level. Teachers who start teaching English and/or Putonghua from the 2004-05 school year have to demonstrate that they meet the basic language proficiency level before they take up the teaching duty. Council on Professional Conduct in Education The council, set up by the Education Department in 1994 as a non-statutory body to enhance teachers' professionalism, advises the Director of Education on matters relating to professional conduct in education. It draws up operational criteria defining the conduct expected of an educator and advises, where necessary, on cases of disputes or alleged professional misconduct. It has 22 elected members from schools and educational organisations and three members nominated by the Director of Education. |