Section 42 of the Education Ordinance stipulates that any person who teaches in a school has to be either a registered teacher or a permitted teacher. Hence, school and teacher concerned should submit application for teacher registration as soon as the appointment has been confirmed and prior to the teacher's assumption of duty. Private schools offering non-formal curriculum may have some exemptions subject to their compliance with conditions specified in the Education (Exemption) (Private Schools Offering Non-formal Curriculum) Order. (For details, please refer to Education Bureau Circular No. 7/2007)
Permitted Teacher (PT)
A person who holds only academic qualifications (i.e. has no teacher training and teacher qualification) may apply to be a PT by completing a Form 10. The first step he/she has to do is to get employed by a school, so that the school supervisor can file in the Form 10 to seek permission to employ him/her as a PT. Upon approval, a permit to teach will be issued. The permit is deemed to be invalidated if the PT ceases to be employed in the school specified in the permit. As such, when the PT is employed by another school, the school concerned has to apply for another permit to teach by completing a Form 11 even though the teacher concerned has already been registered as a PT previously.
The minimum academic qualification required of a PT is :
(a) PT teaching in a school providing primary/secondary or post-secondary education: an associate degree, a higher diploma or equivalent;
(b) PT teaching pupils undergoing nursery and kindergarten education: 5 passes in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination or equivalent, including both English Language (Syllabus A or B) and Chinese Language (Note) in not more than two sittings;
(c) PT teaching in a school offering other educational courses, e.g. tutorial, commercial, language and computer courses: 5 passes in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination or equivalent, including English Language (Syllabus B) or Chinese Language (Note) in not more than two sittings.
For other details, please refer to paragraph 3(d) of Education Bureau Circular No. 3/2004. The higher level a teacher is required to teach at, the higher qualifications he/she has to possess. In addition, the teacher has to produce documentary proof that he/she is capable of teaching the subject(s) he/she is required to teach.
Note : For teacher registration purpose, Level 2 in English and Chinese Languages in the 2007 Kong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) and afterwards will be accepted as comparable to Grade E in English (Syllabus B) and Chinese Language attained in previous HKCEEs.
Registered Teacher (RT)
A person who holds teacher qualification (e.g. a local Teacher's Certificate or Post-graduate Diploma/Certificate in Education) and is a Hong Kong citizen (for non-Hong Kong citizen, a valid employment visa from the Hong Kong SAR Government and documentary proof of teacher employment are required) may apply for registration as a teacher by filing a Form 8 to the Teacher Registration Team of this Bureau.
Application Procedures
Teacher registration application forms (Form 8, Form 10 and Form 11) may be obtained from:
1. Teacher Registration Team
Education Bureau
Unit 302, 3/F, 113 Argyle Street
Mongkok, Kowloon;
2. Regional Education Offices of the Education Bureau;
3. District Offices of the Home Affairs Department; or
4. Education Bureau's website at http://www.edb.gov.hk:
A duly completed application form (including all necessary supporting documents such as copy of Hong Kong Identity Card, photocopies of academic transcripts, certificates/diplomas and professional qualifications claimed as well as photograph(s) affixed on the application) should be sent to the Teacher Registration Team (address stated above). If the applicant possesses non-local qualifications, copy of qualifications assessment report issued by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) or other relevant qualifications assessment document(s) is/are required. For more information, please contact HKCAAVQ at 3658 0000 or visit their website at http://www.hkcaavq.edu.hk. Please also refer to Education Bureau Circular No. 1/2005 concerning assessment of non-local qualifications.
On receiving the application, the Teacher Registration Team may require the applicant to attend an interview for verification of identity documents and qualifications claimed.
For applications submitted through schools, the procedures stipulated in Education Bureau Circular No. 11/2007 should be followed.
Enquiring Teacher Registration Information
In case of doubt about the potential appointees' registration status, schools may seek their consent to apply (application form) to the Education Bureau for the release of teacher registration information to the schools.
Replacement of Certificate for Registration as a Teacher
If a person's Certificate for Registration as a Teacher (the Certificate) is lost, destroyed, damaged or defaced, he/she can apply for a replacement. For application details including the procedures, documents required and fees, please contact the Teacher registration Team. A person may also apply for a replacement if he/she needs to change the personal particulars on his/her Certificate.
If a person has recovered the lost Certificate after submitting a replacement application or obtaining a replacement copy, he/she should return the recovered Certificate to the Teacher Registration Team immediately.
For further enquiry, please contact the Teacher Registration Team at:
Tel.: 2520 0325 or 2520 0270
Fax: 2520 0065
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