Training Programme for Newly-joined Teachers - Frequently Asked Questions

Why are Newly-joined Teachers (NJTs) required to attend the Training Programme (The Programme)? What are the training requirements?

Who are the target participants of the Programme for NJTs?

Do teachers newly appointed under the “NET Scheme” and non-Chinese speaking teachers need to complete the training? If so, are there relevant courses that suit their needs?

How is the first appointment date of NJTs defined?

NJTs are required to complete the training within the “first three years of service”. If he/she quits his/her job during this period, how will the training period be counted?

How do teachers know if they are NJTs? If they are NJTs, how do they know their first appointment date and the end date of the training period?

Following Q6, what does it mean if my “First Appointment Date” is listed as “N/A (Not Applicable)” on “Training Programme for Newly-joined Teachers” page under “Professional Ladder for Teachers” of EDB e-Services Portal?

How could schools know the training period of their NJTs, so that they could follow-up on their training progress?

What are the contents of the core training of the Programme? When are the courses usually held?

What are the differences between the T-standard⁺ Online Course (“Online Course”) and the Training Package on T-standard⁺ for Schools (“Package”)?

If an NJT is arranged by his/her school to lead a student exchange tour to the Mainland, could this working experience be used to substitute for the training requirement of the “Mainland Study Tour for NJTs” organised by EDB?

For NJTs who have passed the Basic Law and National Security Law Test (BLNST), can the relevant results serve as a substitute for attending the “Training Programme on the Constitution, the Basic Law and National Security Education” organised by EDB?

Some NJTs will enrol in the postgraduate diploma in education or other master’s degree programmes during the first three years of their service. Could these programmes be counted as the Programme?

In general, schools provide induction/ support programmes for NJTs. Could these school-based professional development programmes be counted as the core training of EDB? In addition, are all courses on the Training Calendar System regarded as elective training programmes?

Could the school-based professional development activities, such as collaborative lesson planning, peer lesson observation and panel meetings in schools, be counted as elective training?

How can NJTs find out about the upcoming core training programmes organised by EDB?

How can NJTs enrol in core training courses and elective training courses?

Does EDB provide sufficient places of core training programmes for NJTs to enrol? Will NJTs be unable to complete the Programmes by the deadline due to lack of available training quotas?

Could prospective teachers enrol in the core training programmes for NJTs in advance?

How can NJTs view their training progress?

How can schools view the list of NJTs and their training progress?

Why can schools still see NJTs who have already reached the training end dates and completed all the required training in the list of NJTs on e-Services Portal? Does it mean that schools are still required to follow-up on their training progress?

If a teacher has completed a training programme that was not enrolled through the EDB Training Calendar System, how can he/she input the relevant record so it can be counted towards the elective training hours for NJTs?

If NJTs quit their jobs during the first three years of service, will they need to retake the completed courses upon re-employment in publicly-funded schools?

Schools are required to submit teachers’ training records to management committees/ IMCs/ SMCs. How should management committees/ IMCs/ SMCs use or follow up on the information?

What can NJTs do if they are unable to complete the core training programmes within the first three years due to personal reasons?

What follow-up actions will EDB take against NJTs who fail to meet the core training requirements and their schools?

For teachers who have failed to meet the core training requirements and received warning letters or advisory letters, can their serving schools continue to employ them?

If the teachers concerned change schools or re-join the teaching profession after a break in service after receiving warning letters or advisory letters, can publicly-funded schools employ them?

Upon completion of the core training requirements by the teachers who have received warning letters or advisory letters for failure to meet the core training requirements, can schools immediately switch their mode of employment (including regular, contract and monthly-paid temporary teachers, etc.)?

What follow-up actions will EDB take if a teacher who has received a warning letter or advisory letter for not meeting the training requirements transfers to another publicly-funded school or continues to serve in the current school as, but refuses to enrol in the designated training programmes?

What is the consequence for the schools which have employed teachers receiving warning letters or advisory letters for not completing core training, but do not pay the teachers on a daily-rated basis nor inform EDB to follow up with their training arrangements?

Do NJTs need to meet the “soft target” of undertaking no less than 150 hours of CPD activities in each three-year cycle?

Some schools have reported the need to hire supply teachers due to teachers’ participation in professional training and exchange programmes in the Mainland. Will the EDB increase the government grant to meet the training needs of teachers?