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[Archive] Reduction in number of classes

LEGCO QUESTION NO.9

 

Date of sitting: 30 October 2002

Asked by: Hon. CHEUNG Man-kwong

Replied by: SCS

Question:

As there has been a decreasing trend in the number of school-age children in recent years, some schools have to reduce their classes due to insufficient intakes, resulting in a surplus of permanent teachers in the establishment. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

  1. of the respective numbers of government and subvented primary and secondary schools and special schools whose classes were reduced resulting in a surplus of teachers in each of the past three school years, together with the numbers of these schools by school districts;

  2. of the respective numbers of surplus primary school teachers who were provided with vocational counselling by the Education Department in each of the past three school years, with a breakdown by the subjects they used to teach and their years of service at the time they became surplus teachers;

  3. of the following figures, based on the latest population projections in various districts, in each of the next three school years in every school district:

    1. the numbers of students in each grade from Primary One to Secondary Seven;

    2. the estimated numbers of classes to be reduced and surplus teachers; and

    3. the number of government and subvented primary and secondary schools and special schools affected; and

  4. whether it has assessed if the problem of surplus teachers will aggravate; if it will, of the measures to provide proper and equitable arrangements for the employment of the surplus teachers?

Reply:

Madam President:

  1. Statistics of primary, secondary and special schools in the government and aided sectors, which have experienced reduction of classes due to movement of population, lowering of the birth rate, parental choices etc, in the past 3 years, is at Appendix I.

  2. Statistics of the subjects taught and the years of experience of the redundant teachers who have taken the placement service provided by the Education Department in the past 3 years is at Appendix II.


  3. i. In the coming 3 years, the projected distributions of primary school age children (6 to 11) breakdown by district and school age are at Appendix III. The projected distribution of secondary school age children (12 to 18) by school age is at Appendix IV. As the planning of secondary school places is on a territory-wide basis, the projected distribution of secondary school age children by district is not available. 
    ii. & iii. The situation of reduction of primary classes and the number of redundant teachers in different districts depend on a number of factors including the number of school age children, school facilities and parental choices. Overall speaking, as the number of secondary school age children is in an upward trend, there will be an increase in the total number of secondary classes.

  4. The actual number of redundant teachers of each year will be determined by factors such as the number of classes of individual schools to be operated for the next school year, the wastage of the serving teachers etc. The Education Department is now reviewing the placement service. It is expected that detailed arrangement can be worked out in early 2003.



Annex 1


Number of Schools with Reduction of Classes in the Past 3 Years


Districts Secondary Schools Primary Schools Special Schools
Government Aided Government Aided
2000 2001 2002 2000 2001 2002 2000 2001 2002 2000 2001 2002 2000 2001 2002
CW 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0
WCH 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 1 1
HKE 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 5 5 4 1 1 1
SOU 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 5 3 6 2 0 0
I 0 0 0 3 1 2 0 0 0 1 1 5 0 0 0
YTM 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 3 3 9 0 0 0
SSP 0 1 1 2 2 2 0 0 0 5 2 6 0 0 0
KC 0 1 0 4 1 0 1 1 0 6 1 8 1 0 1
WTS 0 0 0 4 2 1 0 0 1 2 0 3 0 1 2
KT 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 6 5 12 0 0 0
SK 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 7 5 4 0 0 0
KWT 0 0 0 4 4 4 0 0 0 8 6 8 0 0 2
TW 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 7 0 0 0
TM 0 0 0 15 11 6 0 1 1 9 8 11 0 0 1
YL 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 2 13 1 2 2
TP 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 7 8 13 1 0 0
N 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 2 4 3 14 0 1 1
ST 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 13 6 13 0 0 0
TOTAL 1 2 4 38 27 28 1 3 4 91 60 140 6 6 11



Annex 2

Statistics of Redundant Teachers in Aided Primary School
Having Taken the Placement Service


Year of receiving the placement service Year of continuous teaching experience Total
5 or below 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 Over 30
2000 149 47 11 10 9 18 15 259
2001 104 20 7 6 2 4 5 148
2002 243 70 20 9 12 15 6 375


Year of receiving the placement service Major Subjects Taught Total
Chi or Chi+Math+Gen Eng Music PE Putonghua Others
2000 75 69 20 39 3 53 259
2001 39 35 16 19 6 33 148
2002 120 84 24 45 11 91 375



Annex 3

Statistics of Redundant Teachers in Aided Primary School
Having Taken the Placement Service



District Year
2003 2004 2005
Southern 18 410 17 690 17 000
Central and Western 14 440 13 950 13 650
Wan Chai 7 540 7 200 6 920
Eastern 37 280 35 330 33 040
Islands 9 200 10 720 11 620
Kowloon City 23 260 22 710 21 670
Yau Tsim Mong 15 950 16 360 16 650
Sham Shui Po 22 400 22 190 22 360
Wong Tai Sin 31 110 29 660 27 670
Kwun Tong 39 390 38 440 37 370
Sai Kung 30 470 31 790 30 790
Sha Tin 42 750 40 530 38 010
Tai Po 22 810 21 120 19 360
North 26 730 25 570 25 130
Kwai Tsing 33 850 33 730 33 410
Tsuen Wan 18 690 18 390 18 520
Yuen Long 54 050 52 970 51 000
Tuen Mun 42 030 39 150 35 960
Total 490 400 477 500 460 100


Notes (1) Figures are derived from the 2001-based projected population distribution by District Council district provided by the Working Group on Population Distribution Projections of the Planning Department in August 2002.
  (2) Figures in each district are rounded to the nearest ten while figures for all districts are rounded to the nearest hundred. Thus, figures may not add up to total due to rounding.


Age Year
2003 2004 2005
6 70 600 62 800 59 500
7 77 200 72 600 64 900
8 82 800 79 500 74 900
9 84 700 85 400 82 100
10 87 200 87 800 88 500
11 87 800 89 400 90 100
Total 490 400 477 500 460 100

Notes (1) Figures are derived from the 2001-based Population Projections provided by Census and Statistics Department in May 2002.
  (2) Figures in each age are rounded to the nearest hundred. Thus, figures may not add up to total due to rounding.
  (3) In general, students at the age of 6 to 11 will be studying P1 to P6 respectively.


Annex 4

Projected Distribution of Secondary School Age Population
(Aged 12 - 18), 2003 - 2005



Age Year
2003 2004 2005
12 86 700 89 300 91 000
13 88 300 87 900 90 600
14 91 000 88 900 88 600
15 86 600 91 100 89 000
16 83 200 86 600 91 100
17 84 400 83 900 87 300
18 84 800 83 900 83 400
Total 605 100 611 500 621 000

Notes (1) Figures are derived from the 2001-based Population Projections provided by Census and Statistics Department in May 2002.
  (2) Figures in each age are rounded to the nearest hundred. Thus, figures may not add up to total due to rounding.
  (3) In general, students at the age of 12 to 18 will be studying in S1 to S7 respectively.