The Implementation of 1000 Additional GM Posts | 落實增加額外的1000個常額學位教師職位 22/1/2016
Letter to the Chief Executive, Leung Chun-ying,
By LEE Suet Ying, Chairman of HKAHSS
22nd January 2016
It is obvious that the quality of education lies heavily on both curriculum and teachers. However, with the decrease in permanent teaching posts due to the decrease in student population, accompanied by the heavy workload, the morale of teachers has been plummeted severely.
According to the recent Policy Address, schools can turn the Senior Secondary Curriculum Support Grant and Career and Life Planning Grant into regular teaching posts in 2016/17. However, the education profession has shown its concerns regarding whether the policy could practically be implemented.
The government promoted the Enhanced Measures of the Voluntary Optimisation of Class Structure Scheme in 2011 under which participating schools can retain surplus teachers despite the reduction in the number of classes. However, they need to deal with surplus teachers when the toleration period is over. If permanent posts are added to the staff establishment, the Senior Secondary Curriculum Support Grant will be reduced accordingly (on a cancel-out basis). Thus, schools cannot use the full amount of grant to settle the issue of surplus teachers. So the addition of GM posts at the expense of Senior Secondary Curriculum Support Grant will just bring false hope to schools.
Besides, Schools can now utilize the Career and Life Planning Grant to make purchases on school equipment, employ temporary teachers or teaching assistants as well as organize student activities related to careers and life education. If the grant is turned into permanent posts, schools need to source other funding to support all these procurements and services.
Once again, we urge the government to conduct thorough and long-term planning on education development and manpower provisions. At the same time, it is also important to take care of career opportunities of young people who are aspired to serve in the teaching profession. They certainly deserve a stable and promising outlook on their careers paths so that they can contribute to the profession without unnecessary worries. All these are very crucial for the further development of Hong Kong education.
香港特別行政區 行政長官辦公室 行政長官
梁振英先生 GBM GBS JP
行政長官梁振英先生鈞鑒:
落實增加額外的 1000 個常額學位教師職位
教師是教育成功之關鍵要素 無庸置疑，課程與教師是教育成功之要素，課程的成功落實，端賴專業的教 師團隊。為確保教師隊伍的穩健發展，本會也曾多次促請政府關注現時教師 隊伍面對的種種困難及衝擊。新學制推行至今，教育當局從未就教學範式轉 移所帶來的工作量作出評估，也未就教師編制作出恰當調整，只按新增工作， 以長期或短期撥款解決。隨著學童人口下降，常額教席持續減少，新教師難 覓常額教席。多年下來，我們看到中學教師職位合約化、短期化及臨時化。 這些現象造成學界分化、教師人心不安，可見將來更出現教師斷層等嚴重問 題，影響教育質素。
對能否落實《施政報告》之建議表示擔憂
剛公布的《施政報告》提出:「由 2016/17 學年起，學校可將現行的『高中課 程支援津貼』及『生涯規劃津貼』轉為常額教席。」此舉原意是增加 1000 個 常額教席，讓合約老師轉入編制職位，以穩定教師團隊。然而業界對政策的 原意能否達成、執行後會否出現與原意背道而馳的結果深表擔憂，我們深恐 學校人力資源不增反減，合約老師即時面臨解僱，教師人心更見不安，校內 分裂更見嚴重。
憂慮一:新增常額教席會否形同虛設?
政府於 2011 年在中學推行自願優化班級結構計劃，參加的二百所中學要在 2019/20 學年前持續縮減教師人手，其間不少學校都會出現高於編制的「過剩 教師」。按「優化班級計劃」，學校在出現過剩教師時，其「高中課程支援津 貼」撥款將被扣減。現時施政報告提出以這個津貼轉換一個常額教席，本會 極擔心部份學校這邊廂剛剛轉換、那邊廂的撥款已被扣減。合約老師滿懷高 興地轉職常額，不一會已打回原形，更甚者職位也不保。至於「生涯規劃津 貼」換得的常額教席，教育局又會不會以這種「對銷」的思維來執行?抑或 因為這筆撥款的特別性質，其職位不會被「對銷」?若學校選擇同期轉換兩 位常額教席，又會否出現兩個職位有不同的有效期?也就是說以「高中課程 支援津貼」聘請的老師會被「對銷」，而以「生涯規劃津貼」的則可永久保用?
當新政策在舊框架下推行，我們擔心 閣下所承諾「提供額外約 1000 個學位 教師職位」的目標不能兌現，所謂 1000 個職位只是虛設。
憂慮二:政策落實之際會否引發更大內部矛盾? 兩個撥款均有其獨特用途，特別是「生涯規劃津貼」，除了用以聘請老師外， 也有學校用以購買服務、聘請助理教師、組織活動等。驟然推出的新政策， 除了打亂學校原來的規劃外，更甚者可能導致教學及非教學人員失去職位。 且學校合約老師數目一般遠高於兩人，在僧多粥少的情況下，內部矛盾難以 避免。
深切盼望教育局能落實《施政報告》承諾 我們希望教育局在落實《施政報告》所承諾提供的額外 1000 個學位教師職位 時，能真正照顧到年青教師對未能入職常額編制的忐忑與無奈，與及學校執 行政策時的困難與憂慮，能多關心年青老師的出路，也能與學界充份溝通。 在制定執行細節時，務求回應施政原意–「穏定教師團隊」，讓所有學校能確 切增加額外的常額教師職位，並減少對學校其他政策及人員的影響，讓優化 高中課程和加強生涯規劃與相關輔導服務能延續下去，造福廣大學子。
盡早作出教育整體檢討長遠規劃
新學制推行至今，香港以至世界變化不斷，昔日訂下的教育方向與目標，是否仍然有效?推行方法是否恰當?成效是否理想?我們期望教育當局能從教育目標、人力配套、課程發展等作整體檢視及規劃，以推動香港教育的持續
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