2019-2020 NewsletterNo. 2

27 May 2020

Table of Contents
1. Extraordinary General Meeting cum Annual Conference 2020
2. Postponement of Retreat for Members
3. Needs Assessment of Students’ Mental Health Survey For Secondary School Principals
4. Meeting with the Secretary for Education
5. Farewell to outgoing principals
6. Farewell to our comrades

Dear Colleagues,

During the past few months, we have all experienced challenging times, I hope your schools will resume smoothly. Let us support one another and continue to work to our best for our students as usual.

There are several things I would like to draw your attention to.

1. Extraordinary General Meeting cum Annual Conference 2020

An Extraordinary General Meeting cum Annual Conference themed “Hong Kong ．A Momentous Change” （香港・變局） will be held on 29 June 2020 at The Cityview, 23 Waterloo Road, Kowloon. All members are sincerely invited to join.

In the EGM, we are proposing an amendment to the Articles of Association of The Hong Kong Association of The Heads of Secondary Schools Limited (The Association). Details are further elaborated in the next few paragraphs.

The Association has applied to the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) to be recognized as a tax-exempt charity under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance since its incorporation. The IRD has requested the Association to deliver a draft Special Resolution to amend its Articles of Association for the IRD’s consideration.

As resolved in the Executive Committee in its meeting on 5 May 2020, the following article is proposed to be adopted in the EGM as a proposed amendment to the Articles of Association of The Hong Kong Association of The Heads of Secondary Schools Limited:

“THAT the Articles of Association of The Hong Kong Association of the Heads of Secondary Schools Limited be and are hereby amended as follows:

(a). In Article 3:

“The objects for which the Association is established are to enhance professionalism in general and to promote the understanding of education in Hong Kong……”

(i). by deleting the words “ to enhance professionalism in general and “ in that Article in its entirety.

AND THAT the Company Secretary of the Company is authorized to deliver this Special Resolution to the Registrar of Companies for registration.”

We will continue to uphold the professionalism of Hong Kong education, and we hope our application for being recognized as a tax-exempt charity would be successful. We appeal to your support and participation.

Besides, for the Annual Conference this year, we are very happy to have invited Mr. Tsang Yok Sing Jasper〔曾鈺成先生〕, Convener of Hong Kong Vision Research Programme, and Prof. Simon Xu Hui Shen 〔沈旭暉教授〕, Associate Professor of Faculty of Social Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, to be our keynote speakers. Details are as follows:

Extraordinary General Meeting cum Annual Conference 2020
Date	:	29 June 2020 (Monday)
Time	:	09:00 – 12:45
Venue	:	The Cityview, 23 Waterloo Road, Kowloon.
Theme	:	“Hong Kong ．A Momentous Change” （香港・變局）
Programme
08:45	:	Registration
09:05	:	EGM – Amendment of Constitution – Progress Update of Adaptive Learning Platform – Report from Chairman
09:25	:	Presentation of Souvenir
09:30	:	Keynote Speech by Mr. Tsang Yok Sing Jasper Convener of Hong Kong Vision Research Programme
10:30	:	Break
10:55	:	Presentation of Souvenir
11:00	:	Keynote Speech by Prof. Simon Xu Hui Shen Associate Professor of Faculty of Social Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
12:00	:	Open Forum
12:30	:	Concluding Remarks

Please click scan the QR code for registration or return the completed enrollment form on or before 12 June 2020. We look forward to seeing you there!

 

2. Postponement of Retreat for Members

I am sorry to inform you that due to the epidemic situation, the Retreat for members originally scheduled on 28 May 2020 needs to be postponed. We will keep you updated about the new arrangements in due course. Take care and hope you all stay healthy.

3. Needs Assessment of Students’ Mental Health Survey For Secondary School Principals

This academic year has been a challenging one for schools and students.  The impact of social incidents and prolonged suspension of classes due to the Coronavirus epidemic on students’ emotional and mental well-being is a prime concern for all educators.

The Hong Kong Association of Heads of Secondary Schools (HKAHSS) and Synergy Against Adversity Mental Health Consultancy Group have jointly launched the “Needs Assessment for Secondary School Students’ Mental Health Problems and Services” during April to May, 2020. We have received very enthusiastic responses from 279 secondary school principals who filled out the anonymous questionnaire. The survey provides us with valuable data about where and why additional resources are required to improve secondary school students’ mental health in Hong Kong.

The consultancy group includes scholars and social workers who have worked with schools for years. They are Dr. Philemon Choi Yuen Wan, Professor Joseph Lau, Dr. Ho Sai Mun, Stanley, Dr. Christian Chan and Ms. Cindy Choi.

Thank you very much for all your great support toward the survey.  The report will be released soon.

4. Meeting with the Secretary for Education

The Association is extremely concerned that there is a considerable number of complaint cases against educational practitioners due to social incidents and that the handling methods of the Education Bureau have brought worries to school principals. In view of this, we have sent a letter to Mr. Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, Secretary for Education, on 26 February 2020 to express our concerns. Please click HERE to read the letter.

On 23 April 2020, a meeting with the Secretary for Education was arranged. In the meeting, representatives of our Executive Committee expressed our deep concerns which cover the procedures and mechanism of handling complaints against educational practitioners, professionalism in political impartiality, freedom of speech for teachers stipulated under the Code of Conduct, the misuse of T-standard and the negative impact on the education ecology.

Another letter was sent to the Secretary for Education on 15 May 2020. Please click HERE to read the letter. We have tried hard to alert the Education Bureau our attention over the issues and our attention will continue.  

5. Farewell to outgoing principals

The Executive Committee would like to send our greatest appreciation to those who have served in schools for so many years and will be retiring or taking early retirement in the coming September. While reluctantly bidding you farewell, we earnestly appeal to your continued support by joining us as life / affiliated members.

Life member: leaving the post of principal upon reaching retiring age or having been in the post for 10 or more years.

Affiliated member: leaving the post of principal before reaching retiring age and with less than 10 years’ service in the past.

We are sincerely waiting for your registration. Simply fill in the Life / Affiliated Membership Registration Form and send it back together with a cheque to our Honorary Treasurer. This is a one-off good act that you should not miss. Let’s keep in touch.

6. Farewell to our comrades

With mixed feelings, we are to announce the retirement of our chairman, Mr. Tang Chun-keung Teddy, and our executive committee member, Mr. Lo Shiu-ming Tommy, after the current academic year. Mr. Tang and Mr. Lo have served in the HKAHSS for eight and five years respectively. They both contributed a lot to the Association as well as the education of Hong Kong. Please join us in wishing the two retiring comrades all the best in the next steps of their journey.

Pang Wai Lan, Helena

Honorary Secretary