More than 6,700 school teachers in Hong Kong quit their jobs during the 2022-2023 academic year — 25% more than the number that left teaching jobs the previous year. According to data released by the Education Bureau, out of the total of 6,748 teachers who left their school jobs, most were kindergarten teachers with 10 years’ experience or less.
The report covered schools under the Kindergarten Education Scheme, public sector and Direct Subsidy Scheme primary and secondary schools, as well as aided special schools. While the kindergarten teacher turnover rate among those in the field for less than 10 years was 19.1%, it was 16.1% among veteran teachers who have been in the field for more than 15 years.
“There are various reasons for teacher wastage, which mainly include retirement, pursuing further studies, changing to other types of schools, taking up employment outside the teaching profession, and leaving the post due to other personal reasons,” said Christine Choi, Secretary for Education, referring to the percentage of teachers who left their jobs out of the total teacher strength in the schools surveyed.
Choi added that the government has several measures in place to support teachers and give them a stable teaching environment. Authorities will continue implementing the All-Graduate Teaching Force policy that it kickstarted in the 2019-2020 academic year, improving middle management manpower, and rationalising the salaries of school heads and deputy heads.
“We have set salary ranges for teachers of different ranks; requesting [that] kindergartens join the scheme to remunerate their teachers within the prescribed salary ranges; and will follow up on irregular cases,” said Choi, adding that the bureau will gradually reduce the number of undergraduate intake places at primary and secondary levels between 2022 and 2025.
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