Teachers, Teacher Education, and Professional Development
Teacher Education Specific to Reading
Building a professional teaching team is a key focus in the Ten Year Plan for the Development of Non-Tertiary Education (2011–2020) promoted by the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (Direcção dos Serviços de Educação e Juventude, or DSEJ). The Bureau aims to strengthen communications with teaching staff and strive to promote their professional development.16,17
The System Framework for Private School Teaching Staff of Non-Tertiary Education provides necessary and ample protection for teaching staff by defining their rights and obligations, as well as regulating their remuneration, ranking and promotion system, and retirement protection. Moreover, it aims to improve the professionalism of teaching staff and foster their professional development. The framework was placed into effect on September 1, 2012, and was implemented in phases.
According to the framework, to become a primary school teacher one must possess one of the following:18
- A higher diploma in primary education or equivalent academic qualification or above that includes pedagogical training
- A higher diploma or equivalent academic qualification or above, which does not include pedagogical training but with the qualification of pedagogical training for primary education recognized by the DSEJ
To relieve teachers of the burden of nonteaching work, the Education Development Fund subsidizes schools to recruit additional staff to promote reading cultures, school medical staff, information technology education officers, personnel to help in extracurricular activities, and laboratory management staff. For more details on reading promotion staff, please refer to the Special Reading Initiatives section.19