Views by the Executive Committee of HKAHSS on Consultation Document of the Task Force on Professional Development of Teachers

   

6th September, 2018
Submitted to the Secretary of the Task Force on Home-School Co-operation and Parent Education

Views by the Executive Committee of HKAHSS on Consultation Document of the Task Force on Professional Development of Teachers

中文原文

[Summary Translation]

對「教師專業發展專責小組」初步建議諮詢文件的意見

The Hong Kong Association of the Heads of Secondary Schools (HKAHSS) is glad to see the Government’s release of the Consultation Document of the Task Force on Professional Development of Teachers (The Consultation Document). In response to the 20 recommendations in three aspects, namely, the establishment of a professional ladder for teachers, the ranking arrangement of school management and the all-graduate teaching force policy, below are the views of the HKAHSS. 

1. Establishing a Professional Ladder of Teachers (recommendations (1 to 3)
   The HKAHSS agrees to the recommendations that set out the objectives, the substance, the pathway as well as the core elements, and recognizes the directions outlined. We hope that the authorities would take the efforts to explain the framework and the contents to the education sector and the public to solicit better understanding and support for the teaching profession and the importance of teacher development.
2. Enhancing Professional Growth of Teachers (recommendations 4 to 7)
   1. Promoting professional organization
      The Task Force proposed to invite COTAP to take up the responsibilities to plan, implement and monitor the further development of the Professional Ladder for Teachers at all levels (individual, school and system).  It is our view that the responsibilities of policy making for professional development should be rested with a body formed by practising professionals. Such an organization shall shoulder the responsibilities to plan, execute and monitor the implementation of relevant policies and measures for the purpose of enhancing professionalism, raise education quality and leverage professional autonomy. It is better for the government to entrust the professional body with the appropriate authority and resources to implement the policies.
      
   2. Integrating the professional and career ladders for teachers
      We are glad to see the “T-excel@hk” Project launched by COTAP which provides references of standards for teacher professional growth. Nonetheless, it is our view that advocating the standards alone is not enough. The 3-stage professional requirements set out in “T-Standard” should be integrated with the “professional ladders” and the “career ladders” so that teachers attaining the professional standards at different stages may choose to enter into the professional ladder; and in such circumstances they should be allowed to carry with them their teaching ranks. This would help promote the career development of teachers.
   3. Establishing the culture and qualities of continuous professional development
      At present the majority of teachers in Hong Kong are attaining the required 150-hour professional development in 3 years. It is time now for the education authorities to help teachers make a strategic move from quantity to quality.
      A learning community culture has been developing in local schools and amongst teachers in recent years, either by school-based initiatives or by collaborations among school sponsoring bodies or district exchanges platforms to develop peer-support learning systems at different levels. This plays an important part in helping Hong Kong schools grow into learning communities. It also helps build learning communities across schools or districts, and sustain ongoing education studies and teaching innovations. It is our view that the education authorities should conduct studies of the above so as to formulate specific policies and plans to advance professional collaborations and achieve a paradigm shift in teaching.
      Furthermore, school-based or inter-school exchange platforms may become the training bases for new teachers. The education authorities or tertiary education institutes could lead the coordination with school sponsoring bodies or joint school groups to provide systemic first-year on-job training for new teachers. This will turn the efforts across schools or organizations in providing training for individual teachers to benefit the entire profession.

III. Raising Teachers’ Professional Status

1. 1. Commendation on outstanding teachers (recommendations 8 to 9)
      1. Internalizing the incentive
         Recommendations (8) and (9) suggest setting up commendation schemes to recognize or honour outstanding teachers. While teachers may feel the good will of the government or schools in such one-off validation move, it is our view that the essence of recognizing teachers is to give them incentive for ongoing efforts and improvement. The government may consider other ways of commendation to sustain the effect.To show respect and recognition for teachers, the government may consider the following to support teachers’ continued development:

1. 1. 1. 1. Provision of places for conducting training and development programmes (for instance, to further pursue the idea of teachers’ centres for teacher groups to organize activities or retreats)
         2. Provision of self-learning materials or channels (for instance, to encourage universities or academic institutes to open their library collections to teachers on special terms)
         3. Provision of learning opportunities for widening teachers’ exposure (for instance, to upgrade study leave or subsidy schemes for teachers to engage in further studies locally or abroad)
      2. Enhancing professionalism
         According to an OECD survey in 2013, raising the professionalism of teachers will enhance professional judgement and professional autonomy. Enabling teachers to have a sense of achievement and self-validation which will also gain public recognition is a strategy to commend teachers. Japan have proven successful experiences in raising teachers’ public recognition, self-confidence, and higher motivation and better capability to teach. It is our view that if teachers and the teaching leadership are given greater professional autonomy, they will become innovative teachers, not just keepers of prescribed teaching.
      3. Empowerment collaboration
         The HKAHSS have been advocating the setting up of a General Teaching Council which was a key proposal specified in the Education Report No.7 (1997). It is our view that the teaching profession, like any other professions such as doctors and lawyers, should have our own professional body entrusted with self-regulatory power and responsibilities (to process registration of teachers, formulate standards for teachers’ training, and up-keep professional development, etc.). We believe teaching standards and teaching-related affairs are profession-specific. Teachers should play a key role in setting teaching standards and designing the assessment systems. Extensive participation by teachers is a way to recognize the importance of their professionalism, skills and experiences as well as their duties and responsibilities.
   2. Advancing the career prospects of teachers, and enhancing school management ranking and deployment arrangement (recommendations 10 to17)
      We agree to the general direction of the 8 recommendations to support the deployment in school throughout the different development stages of teachers in their career path. However, it is our view that the authorities should review the current policies where certain practices are jeopardizing the development of schools: (1) to review and restructure the teacher ranking so that the establishment is reflecting the actual responsibilities; (2) to add the post of a third vice principal to meet the increasing demands on schools arising from social and cultural changes; (3) to review the ranking system of principals to reflect the actual responsibilities of the principals and the operation of schools (not solely defined by the number of classes). 
2. All-graduate Teaching Force (recommendations 18 to 20)
   We agree to the direction and contents set out in recommendations 18 to 20. According to a territory-wide survey conducted by HKAHSS, over 98% of our teachers have attained undergraduate or post-graduate qualifications. This implies that in the majority of schools, undergraduate teachers in the same school are being given different remuneration plans. In enforcing the All-graduate Teaching Force policy, the government should re-adjust the establishment according to the development and management needs of schools.

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2018年9月6日
致教育局專業發展及培訓分部

香港中學校長會執行委員會對「教師專業發展專責小組」初步建議諮詢文件的意見

English version

香港灣仔皇后大道東213號

胡忠大廈11樓1110室

教育局專業發展及培訓分部

敬啟者：

香港中學校長會執行委員會

對「教師專業發展專責小組」初步建議諮詢文件的意見

 

香港中學校長會執行委員會樂見政府推出《教師專業發展專責小組諮詢文件》（簡稱諮詢文件），就教師專業發展專責小組（簡稱專責小組）在建立教師專業階梯的可行方案；中、小學和特殊學校管理層的職級安排；以及教師職位學位化的時間表進行研究，從而提出可改善的建議和方向，進一步推廣教師持續專業發展的文化，提升教師的專業地位，促進教師專業水平和教學質素之提升，收集各界對教師專業發展的意見，為提升教育質素，引發公眾的關注。本會對專責小組提出20項的初步建議，意見如下：

 

（一） 建立教師專業階梯  （第1至3項建議）

 

有關「建立教師專業階梯」，本會同意諮詢文件有關教師專業階梯的目的、內容、歷程和核心元素的建議（第1-3項建議），並認同專責小組就以上各部分勾勒之方向，期望不同部門能向業界和公眾人士解釋框架和內容，促進各界對教育專業認識和支持，肯定教師發展之重要性。

 

（二） 促進教師專業成長（第4至7項建議）

 

1. 專業組織全力推動

在「促進教師專業成長」方面，專責小組提出『在教師、學校、系統層面，全方位推動教師專業階梯［文件第6項建議］』的方向，從教師個人、學校團體和政府政策層面全力推動教師專業成長。正如專責小組所說『現時提出的教師專業階梯只屬框架』，是次諮詢未就這三個層次給予具體政策或方案之建議。現時有關教師及校長的持續專業發展政策均由教育局制定，當中不論是專責小組或教師和校長專業發展委員會（簡稱COTAP）主要擔任「諮詢」及「建議」的角色，本會認為教師專業發展政策和措施應由業內人士組成專業組織，肩負規劃、執行和監察相關政策推行的責任，提升教師團隊的專業性，持續改進教育質素，發揮專業自主的精神。政府宜賦予此專業組織權力和資源，全力地落實有關政策。

2. 教師專業階梯與職業階梯之結合

本會喜見COTAP推行「T-卓越@HK計劃」，提出教師專業成長的核心元素和「T-標準⁺」，讓學校對教師不同專業成長階段及工作崗位所需的專業能力有所參考。但在教師專業發展的制度設計中，光靠制定專業標準（例如T-標準⁺）和專業發展活動（例如T-培訓^β；T-專能³） 的倡導是不足夠的，教師在職成長如缺乏有效激勵機制，將影響教師在職成長的意願和發展。本會認為應把T-標準⁺的教師三個階段所達到的專業要求，和專業階梯（professional ladder）及事業階梯（career ladder）結合，讓達致不同階段或專業能力的教師，可選擇進入不同的專業階梯發揮所長，承擔職責，其教師事業階梯的職級（rank）安排也隨之而調整，從而促進教師職業生涯發展的進階。

 

3. 建立教師持續專業發展的文化與素質

教育專業是學習的專業。教師「持續專業發展」的基本原則是「重質不重量」，教師自發性的終身學習才是教師持續專業發展的終極期望及目標。根據教師專業發展的文獻或報告所見，香港教師在「量」方面的參與經已相當足夠，絕大部份的教師亦能達到「教師持續專業發展文件2003」所提出的「三年內參與不少於150小時的專業發展活動」。建基於這良好的發展基礎下，教育當局實應儘快進一步提升教師在持續專業發展的層次，從策略上協助教師作觀念上的轉變，對焦於「質」素方面的提升。

 

從2003年師訓與師資諮詢委員會發表《學習的專業、專業的學習》的文件，推動專業學習社群的發展是本港「教師持續專業發展」政策的長遠目標（師訓與師資諮詢委員會，2003，頁13）。以香港學校和教師的現況，同儕支援的專業學習社群文化已在孕育和發展。近年不少學者均努力探索校本的同儕文化建立、推動學習型機構。如何通過校本、不同教育團體間或各地區交流平台，從不同的層次建立同儕支援學習系統，這是協助本港學校建立學習型機構的重要一環，並利於建立跨校或區域性的專業學習社群和持續性地進行教育研究及教學創新。此外，

教育當局應研究以上結連學校發展、教師專業階梯和事業階梯之具體政策和方案，進一步推動和提升教師團隊專業的協作，協助教師教學範式的轉變，建立專業學習的文化和高質素的教師隊伍。

 

承接以上專業學習文化和環境，校本或校間交流平台更能成為新入職教師培訓重要的基地。通過教育局或大專教育機構統籌及設計新入職教師首年的培訓工作，辦學團體或聯校統籌和協調，提供新入職教師系統學習，善用跨校或跨組織力量及平台，從個別教師培育提升至教師專業學習社群，深化教育界別內「學習」這個重要的文化特質，穩固「學習型機構」的基石。

 

（三） 提升教師專業地位

1. 表揚優秀教師 （第8至9項建議）
   1. 從外在到內在自我激勵
      就第8至9項建議，專責小組提出建立更具激勵作用的獎勵計劃或榮譽，彰表不同成就教師之方向。誠然一次性的賞報，如： 獎品、嘉許狀、甚或結合事業階梯晉升等，能讓教師感受到政府或學校肯定教師表現的心意，提升教師改進的動機，但各類正面的獎勵能帶動社會人士肯定教師的表現，本會認為政府當局可從激勵效應的持續性思考不同獎勵方式。表揚教師究意所為何事？其用意在於肯定教師，激勵教師努力求進。
   2. 政府可考慮提供教師持續發展的支援作為尊重和肯定教師的方式，如：（1）提供進修和發展的場所，政府當局可進一步發展或重新構思教師中心，讓學校或教師團體可利用中心組織教師專業發展活動、退修營等；（2）提供自學材料或渠道，當局可鼓勵大學或學術團體，提供大學圖書証或借閱文獻便捷條款或優惠；（3）提供開拓視野的學習機會，政府可提高每校教師進修津貼或帶薪學習假期，為每所學校的優秀教師，提供進修高階課程或海外觀摩的機會，讓教師可自我持續發展和提升專業的能力和視野。
   3. 但若要推動教師持續改進，其動機應由外在發展至內在動機，教師能體驗成功教學經歷，將能提升教師自信和自我效能感，從而大大增加教師成功感和滿足感。
2. 提升教師專業性
   根據經濟合作暨發展組織（Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD）於2013年所發表的「教與學的國際調查」（Teaching and Learning International Survey, TALIS）研究報告所示，提升教師專業性，增進教師專業判斷和自主。讓教師體驗成功，自我認同，進而讓公眾認同，是表揚教師另一種策略。日本在職教師培訓及發展這方面的特點和借鏡之處。通過同儕學習、課堂研究等活動，教師取得多向度回饋，促使他們的公眾認同、教師自信、教學動機及教學能力均有明顯的正面影響（OECD, 2013）。這些專業發展活動對教師的教學產生了更大的影響。在這種情況下最重要的是，教師的專業性和專業自主意味著教師不只做他們想做的事，而是他們根據對專業實踐的深刻理解而作出專業判斷。新世紀成功的教育系統應盡一切努力發展教師專業性。若教師和教學領導取得更大的自主權，使他們不單僅僅延續一種規範的教學模式而是成為創造性的教師。
3. 賦權協作，參與建構專業標準
   1997年香港敎育統籌委員會《第七號報吿書》曾列出七個實行優質敎育的條件，當中包括提昇校長和敎師質素。報告書建議教育當局應為校長教師設立專業自主組織－教學專業議會。此議會應該具備四項功能，包括：（1）在制定與教師註冊（例如註冊條件和敎師資格）有關的政策方面擔當重要角色；（2）在確保師資培訓課程的質素和是否切合專業需要方面，具重要影響力；（3）有責任促進和鼓動教師的持續專業教育和發展；（4）可以執行內部紀律、處理投訴、調解紛爭，並在有需要時進行調査和紀律聆訊。
   業內一直期望教師應該跟其他專業一樣，如：醫生、律師等，擁有自我規管的權力和責任，負責教師註冊、訂定師資培訓的標準及確保持續專業發展。教學專業議會是教師的專業團體，職能也應和其他專業團體相似，而其目的是提高教師的專業水平，以達致為學生提供優質教育的最終目標。可惜的是，經歷了多年討論，教學專業議會的成立仍然遙遙無期。但按經濟合作與發展組織（OECD）教育和技能司主任安德烈亞斯‧施萊歇爾（Andreas Schleicher）所發表報告，讓教師參與製定專業標準是建立專業知識和能力的好方法。實際上，教學標準與專業相關事務應歸專業所有，教師必須在設計標準時發揮主導作用。同樣，如果評估系統要有效，教師必須參與設計教師評估方法。能廣邀教師參與，這是認可他們的專業性、技能和經驗的重要性以及他們的責任職能的重要性。因此，評估系統的設計者需要與教師的專業組織和整個系統的優秀教師合作。
4. 開拓教師事業前景、優化管理層職級及職務調配 （第10至17項建議）
   本會同意此8項建議之方向，以配合不同成長階段的教師事業發展和學校職級調配。現時中小學和特殊學校系統裡，三類學校分別於學制改革時，出現低估教師人力與新增職能之現象，如：（1）檢視及重組教師職級－現時2010年入職學位教師職級（GM）為15至33點，高級學位教師職級（SGM）則為34至39點，而首席學位教師職級（PGM）為38至41點。此職級制度沿用多年，職級薪級點之分佈與職能未見相關性，當中以學位職級薪級點較多，未見與職業階梯和學校發展需要結合。而首席學位職級薪級點最少，未能反映其工作量和管理範疇的實際狀況。現行職級制度未見合理反映職責，亦不利團隊文化之建立。（2）增設第三位副校長－學制和社會文化改變，學生學習和成長需要大增，學校工作日趨繁瑣複雜，現時各中學設有兩位副校長已不足應付，增設第三位副校長職級之需要顯而易見；（3）檢討校長職級制度－因應香港適齡學童人數下降的問題，中學實施自願優化班級結構計劃後，一般中學班級結構分別為18班和24班，以往沿用24班為界線一級校長或二級校長的制度，宜與時並進作出檢視，宜就校長工作職能和學校運作，定義其職級和薪酬，方能如實反映及肯定其領導的角色。以上種種不利學校發展的實例，政府當局實應認真檢視和儘快修正，否則影響教師士氣之餘，亦減弱學校效能，影響學生學習。
5. 教師職位學位化（第18至20項建議）
   本會非常認同第18至20項建議內容和方向，中學教師全面學位化討論經年。根據本會對全港中學進行問卷調查結果所見，超過98%教師已取得學位或以上資歷，意即現時大部分的中學持有學位資歷教師出現不同薪酬待遇，此情況為學校帶來內部矛盾，不利團隊文化的建立。在教師全面學位化同時，需按學校發展和管理需要，同步增加管理職級教師，以確保學校有效運作。

總結

是次特首林鄭月娥女士成立8個專責小組檢視教育制度，相信業界人士均對小組建議抱有熱切的期望，不單希望能將現有教育制度、課程和教師發展、學生學習和出路等問題，檢視、梳理和儘速改善現況；更希望政府為學校教育工作聚焦，為教育工作者拆牆鬆綁，創設有利教師教學和學生學習的良好環境和土壤。

我們樂見政府為『教師專業發展』進行諮詢，但我們相信相關政策和措施日後是否能發揮功能，與今天擬定的架構、組織成員與工作方向有莫大關係，期望政府能仔細規劃，為教師隊伍的承傳和人力資源作出細緻檢討，吸引成績優秀學生從事教育工作，應對教師隊伍的老化問題，並獲同等的肯定和認同。除提供晉升機會予在行政工作方面有出色表現的教師外，亦應提供晉升機會予教學表現卓越的教師，並鼓勵通過專業學習社群的平台，與其他教師進行教研或教學分享等，以推動教師協作、創新教學策略，從而改進學與教效能。

如對上述建議有任何問題，敬請致電2470 3363聯絡本人。

 

香港中學校長會署理主席

 

 

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鄧振強校長   謹啟

二零一八年九月六日

 

 

 

 

 

 

參考資料：

 

師訓與師資諮詢委員會（2003）。《學習的專業 專業的學習》──教師專業能力理念架構及教師持續專業發展。

 

Schleicher A.（2018）.  Elevating the teaching profession – Teacher. https://www.teachermagazine.com.au/columnists/andreas-schleicher/elevating-the-teaching-profession