Recruitment of Primary NETs

Recruitment of Native-speaking English Teachers (NETs) for Primary Schools 

The Education Bureau cordially invites you to apply for the Native-speaking English Teacher (NET) positions.

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NETs are required to teach English as a second language to  Hong Kong  students and assist in teacher and curriculum development in public-sector primary schools (for students aged between 6 and 12) and schools for students with special educational needs.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR APPOINTMENT 

The applicant should be a native-speaker of English¹ or possess native-speaker English competence².

For appointment in special schools, preference will be given to applicants who have special education training and/or experience in teaching students with special educational needs.

NETs who join the NET Scheme in or after the 2025/26 school year or serving NETs who re-join the NET Scheme after a break in service are required to possess the following qualifications:


(i)(a) a relevant Bachelor’s degree majoring in the study of English³ from a Hong Kong university, or equivalent; or

(i)(b) a Bachelor’s degree in any subjects, and a higher degree majoring in the study of English³ or related subject from a Hong Kong university, or equivalent; and

(ii) a Post-graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) majoring in English Language⁴, or equivalent  ; and

(iii) a Teaching English as a Foreign / Second Language (TEFL /TESL) qualification at least at certificate level, or equivalent.

Requirements of TEFL/TESL qualification for appointment of NETs: 

• TEFL/TESL Qualification at the Certificate Level
• TEFL/TESL Qualification at the Diploma Level

Candidates who are considered for appointment but possess non-local qualifications need to have their qualifications assessed by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) as to whether their qualifications are comparable to local bachelor’s degrees and local initial teacher training qualifications. The assessment results of the HKCAAVQ shall be final.

Notes:

¹ Native speakers of English are people who acquire the language in infancy and develop the language through adolescence and adulthood within a community where English is spoken as the first language. Native-speaker English competence refers to the ability to use English fluently and spontaneously, to give grammatically accurate responses in communication and to write or speak creatively.

² Non-native speakers of English, i.e. people who have not acquired the language in early childhood, are also suitable for employment as NETs if their English competence is not different from that of nativespeakers in terms of fluency, accuracy and creativity in language use.

³ A relevant Bachelor’s degree/higher degree includes:
(a) degrees specifically in the study of the English language (including English studies, English literature, and linguistics);
(b) degrees in education with specialism in English;
(c) degrees in the communicative use of English; and
(d) degrees in translation with English as one of the principal languages studied.

⁴ Relevant teacher training means recognised teacher training with specialism in English and supervised practicum in English teaching. Untrained NETs should not proceed beyond Pt. 20. NETs without (ii) are required to obtain the qualification within the first four years of service, otherwise these NETs are not allowed to be appointed as NETs under the NET Scheme.

TERMS OF APPOINTMENT & SALARY 

The appointment of a NET will be on a two-year contract basis normally starting in mid-August and ending in mid-August two years later, subject to renewal after expiry.

The salary scale of APSM rank, i.e. MPS Pt. 15 to 29, is from HK$35,080 to HK$67,850 (approx. US$4,497* to US$8,699*) per month.  The information on the maximum pay point is for reference only and may be subject to changes.  Those without a local recognised teacher training qualification or equivalent will not be permitted to proceed beyond a salary bar at MPS Pt. 20, HK$44,765 (approx. US$5,739*) per month.

The salary and the conditions of service to be offered are subject to the candidate's qualifications and post-qualification teaching experience as well as the prevailing conditions at the time the offer of appointment is made.

Passage, baggage, medical allowances and a special allowance of HK$20,989 (*approx. US$2,691*) per month are provided for appointees whose normal place of residence is established as outside Hong Kong.  The Permanent Secretary for Education shall be the authority in determining whether a NET’s normal place of residence is outside Hong Kong.  (A NET will not be eligible for the Special Allowance if he/she or his/her spouse is already receiving the same allowance or any other housing benefits from his/her own employer. Similarly, a NET will not be eligible for passages, baggage and medical allowance if he/she or his/her spouse is provided with similar benefits by his/her employer.)

For NETs serving in the 1st and 2nd contracts: 10% of total current basic salary (when added to the employer’s contribution to the Mandatory Provident Fund Scheme) paid over the contract period payable on satisfactory completion of each contract.

For NETs serving after 2 contracts: 15% of total current basic salary (when added to the employer’s contribution to the Mandatory Provident Fund Scheme) paid over the contract period payable on satisfactory completion of each contract and upon fulfilling training requirements for newly-joined teachers within first three years of services.

* Based on exchange rate HK$7.8 = US$1 (subject to fluctuation).

Applicants applying for the above position for the 2025/26 school year should send in the completed standard application form with supporting documents by post, by fax or in person to the following address by 20 June 2025. 

NET Administration Team, Education Bureau,
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region,
Room W304, 3/F, West Block,
Education Bureau Kowloon Tong Education Services Centre,
19 Suffolk Road, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Fax No.: (852) 2349 1398

Download Application Form in PDF Format    PDF   

Notes to Applicants:

1. Candidates who are shortlisted for interview and written test will be contacted by e-mails.  Those who do not receive any such invitation in eight weeks from the closing date for application may assume that their applications are unsuccessful.
2. Successful candidates will be placed in the candidate pool of the NET scheme in Primary Schools for the 2025/26 school year.  Their CVs will be distributed to primary schools that have entrusted the Education Bureau (EDB) with recruiting NETs on their behalf for the 2025/26 school year.
3. Applicants will be subject to the latest qualification requirements as stipulated in the prevailing Circulars, Circular Memoranda, letters and guidelines issued by EDB.
4. Applications without the required information/supporting documents, or submitted by e-mail will not be accepted. Please ensure that sufficient postage is paid to avoid unsuccessful delivery of application.  Any underpaid mail items will be disposed of by the Hongkong Post.
5. To ensure our timely processing of your application, it is advisable to submit the application as early as possible. Some ad hocinterviews may be held before the application deadline.
6. Where a large number of candidates meet the specified entry requirements, this Bureau may devise shortlisting criteria to selectthe better qualified candidates for further processing. In these circumstances, only shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend interview and written test.
7. You are required to produce documentary evidence of having/not having been found guilty of criminal offence (e.g. a Certificateof No Criminal Convictions(CNCC)) from the countries/cities where you have resided.
8. With effect from 1 December 2011, the Hong Kong Police Force has launched the Sexual Conviction Record Check (SCRC) scheme which is applicable to prospective employees seeking child-related work or work relating to mentally incapacitatedpersons (MIPs) in organisations or enterprises. The scheme does not cover conviction records of sexual offences that areregarded as "spent" under section 2 of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Ordinance (Cap. 297, Laws of Hong Kong) and overseasconviction records. Schools may request the candidates for the NET position to undergo SCRC at the advanced stage of theemployment process. Details of the SCRC scheme are available at the website of SCRC (https://www.police.gov.hk/scrc/en).
9. Information of unsuccessful candidates will normally be destroyed 24 months after rejection of the candidates' applications. Having submitted your personal data, you have the right to request access to and correction of your personal data held by us.Request for access to or correction of personal data should be made in the Data Access Request Form and sent to theControlling Officer (Data Protection), 15/F Wu Chung House, 213 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong. For details, youmay refer to the Personal Information Collection Statement in the application form. For more information about the privacy policy,please visit the website of Education Bureau.

Contact us:

Tel No.: (852) 3698 3926 or (852) 3698 3685

E-mail address: netrecruit@edb.gov.hk

Further information is available from our web site at https://www.edb.gov.hk/NET.

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