Training Programme for Newly-joined Teachers - Frequently Asked Questions

A. Training Requirements and Target Participants

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

Teachers are the key to providing quality education. The Education Bureau (EDB) has attached great importance to the professional quality of the teaching profession. The Programme is designed to assist NJTs to understand their professional roles, to demonstrate professional values and conduct, and keep abreast of the latest developments in education policies and practices for application in teaching as appropriate. Starting from the 2020/21 school year, full-time teachers appointed to teach in publicly-funded schools are required to complete 30 hours of core training and not less than 60 hours of elective training based on individual professional development needs within the first three years of service. For details of the Programme, please refer to the EDB website (https://www.edb.gov.hk/cpd/en).

Who are the target participants of the Programme for NJTs?

The Programme is targeted at full-time teachers appointed to teach in publicly-funded schools (including government schools, aided schools, caput schools and Direct Subsidy Scheme schools) for the first time on or after 1 September 2020, including regular teachers, contract teachers, monthly-paid temporary teachers (excluding daily-rated supply teachers) and Native-speaking English Teachers (NETs). Teachers who had taught in private schools and transferred to publicly-funded schools as full-time teachers on or after 1 September 2020, regardless of their teaching experience, must also complete the Programme within the first three years of the transfer as required. The relevant appointment records on EDB e-Services Portal should prevail.

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?

Both full-time newly appointed teachers under the “NET Scheme” and non-Chinese speaking teachers meeting the criteria stated in Question A2 are required to complete the training. All the core training programmes provided by EDB, including “Workshop on Teachers’ Professional Identity”, “T-standard⁺ Online Course”, “Mainland Study Tour for Newly-joined Teachers” and “Training Programme on the Constitution, the Basic Law and Hong Kong National Security Education”, offer English sessions for non-Chinese speaking NJTs. EDB also provides reference materials to the non-Chinese speaking NJTs who participate in the Mainland Study Tour to facilitate their application for travel documents.

EDB has uploaded the Year Calendar to the designated webpage for the Training Programme for NJTs (https://www.edb.gov.hk/njt/en). Non-Chinese speaking NJTs can refer to the information in the Year Calendar, and apply for the English sessions of the Programmes.

How is the first appointment date of NJTs defined?

The first appointment date of NJTs is the date on which the teacher is appointed as a full-time teacher for the first time in publicly-funded schools (including government schools, aided schools, caput schools and Direct Subsidy Scheme schools). Even if the teacher concerned later transfers to another school, or switches from a contract teacher to a regular teacher, his/ her first appointment date will remain unchanged.

NJTs can log on to EDB e-Services Portal, select “Training Programme for Newly-joined teachers” under “Professional Ladder for Teachers”, and check if their “First Appointment Date” and “Target End Date of Training Period” are accurate. If the information is incorrect, NJTs should contact EDB e-Services Team through the school to rectify the record as soon as practicable. If necessary, schools can download relevant forms from the EDB e-Services Portal website to modify the teachers’ appointment information.

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?

The training period of NJTs is counted based on the accumulated number of days that teachers serve as full-time teachers (excluding daily-rated supply teachers), and the duration is 1095 days (3 years x 365 days). Therefore, if teachers leave their teaching posts during the period to pursue further study, switch to non-full-time teaching posts, or transfer to private schools, the training period will be temporarily frozen until they are re-employed by publicly-funded schools as full-time teachers.

NJTs can log on to EDB e-Services Portal (https://eservices.edb.gov.hk) , select “Training Programme for Newly-joined teachers” under “Professional Ladder for Teachers”, and view their “Accumulated Days of Training Period” to confirm their training period.

5.1 After logging on to the e-Services Portal, select “Training Programme for Newly-joined Teachers” under “Professional Ladder for Teachers”.

5.2 If the teacher is regarded as an NJT, he/she can view his/her own “First Appointment Date”, “Accumulated Days of Training Period” and “Target End Date of Training Period” on this page. If the teacher leaves his/her teaching post during the training period to pursue further study, switches to non-full-time teaching posts, or transfers to private schools, the target end date of training period will be dispayed as “Temporarily Frozen” on this page.

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?

Teachers can log on to EDB e-Services Portal (https://eservices.edb.gov.hk) to confirm if they are NJTs. Details are as follows.

6.1 After logging on to the e-Services Portal, select “Training Programme for Newly-joined Teachers” under “Professional Ladder for Teachers”.

6.2 (i) If teachers are regarded as NJTs, they can view their “First Appointment Date”, “Accumulated Days of Training Period” and “Target End Date of Training Period” on this page.

(ii) If teachers are not regarded as NJTs, their “Accumulated Days of Training Period” and “Target End Date of Training Period” would be shown as “Not Newly-joined Teachers”.

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?

The Programme is designed for full-time teachers appointed to teach in publicly-funded schools (including government schools, aided schools, caput schools and schools under the Direct Subsidy Scheme) for the first time on or after 1 September 2020. If you are now serving as a teaching assistant or a part-time teacher rather than a full-time teacher, and have never worked as a full-time teacher in a publicly-funded school, you are currently not the target participant of the Programme. Therefore, your “First Appointment Date” would be shown as “N/A (Not Applicable)” on “Training Programme for Newly-joined Teachers” page. However, should you take up a full-time teaching position in a publicly-funded school in the future, you will be regarded as an NJT and are required to complete the Programme within the first three years of service. You are advised to regularly review your record on EDB e-Services Portal to ensure timely fulfilment of the training requirements.

7.1 After logging on to the e-Services Portal, select “Training Programme for Newly-joined Teachers” under “Professional Ladder for Teachers”.

7.2 If the teacher has never served as a full-time teacher in publicly-funded schools, the “First Appointment Date”, “Accumulated Days of Training Period” and “Target End Date of Training Period” on this page will be displayed as “N/A”.

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

EDB provides e-Services Portal (https://eservices.edb.gov.hk) for teachers to save their training records. Schools can monitor the training end date of NJTs through the system in order to closely monitor their progress in completing the core training programmes. Schools should also remind teachers to regularly review their training progress and timely fulfil the training requirements. Details are as follows.

8.1 After logging on to the e-Services Portal, select “Training Programme for Newly-joined Teachers” under “Professional Ladder for Teachers”.

8.2 Schools can view the list of NJTs and their “First Appointment Date in Publicly-funded School” and “Target End Date of the Newly-joined Teacher’s Training Period”. Teachers who are not full-time teachers appointed to teach in publicly-funded schools for the first time in or after the 2020/21 school year would not be included in the list.

B. Training Contents

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

The core training of the Programmes is provided by EDB and regularly organised every school year. The course ID begins with PDT. NJTs should refer to the announcement on the Training Calendar System and EDB webpage regularly. The table below provides a summary of the core training of the Programme:

Content of Core Training		Training Hours
Category 1	Workshop on Teachers’ Professional Identity	6	12 in total
	T-standard⁺ Online Course	3
	Training Programme on the Constitution, the Basic Law and Hong Kong National Security Education	3
Category 2	Mainland Study Tour for Newly-joined Teachers	18

Each of the above courses should be taken once only. No CPD hours will be awarded for repeated enrolment on the same course.

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

The Online Course provided by EDB is designed to cater for NJTs’ needs at work. The contents include scenario analysis, interactive games and videos which are pertinent to their daily work such as classroom management, teacher-student relationship, teaching strategies, etc. The course belongs to the core training (Category 1) and the enrolment of NJTs is mandatory.

As for the Package, it is provided for schools’ flexible deployment on staff development days or at other appropriate training opportunities, taking into account their school-based circumstances, to enhance teachers’ continuing professional development as well as to cultivate a reflective culture.

NJTs who have participated in school-based training programme that is designed with reference to the Package cannot be considered as completing the Online Course.

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?

The Mainland Study Tour for NJTs aims to increase opportunities for teachers to visit the Mainland in order to gain first-hand experience of the development of the country and strengthen their ability in fostering students’ sense of national identity. Its goals, activities, and learning contents differ from student exchange or study tours to the Mainland organised by individual schools, and cannot be used to replace 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 Hong Kong National Security Education” organised by EDB?

While the BLNST promotes a correct understanding of the Basic Law and the National Security Law among teachers, the “Training Programme on the Constitution, the Basic Law and Hong Kong National Security Education” further deepens NJTs’ understanding of the rule of law in Hong Kong, “One Country, Two Systems” and national security, etc. They are different in terms of purposes and contents and cannot be used to replace the “Training Programme on the Constitution, the Basic Law and Hong Kong 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?

EDB has been encouraging NJTs to enrol on suitable programmes/ activities according to their individual professional and school development needs. All structured learning provided by EDB, teacher education universities, school-sponsoring bodies (SSB) or schools can be counted as elective training programmes. Hence, the postgraduate diploma in education or other master’s degree programmes that NJTs have attended in their first three years could be counted as elective training.

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?

In general, school-based induction/ support programmes for NJTs are mainly developed based on schools’ development needs, while the core training provided by EDB aims to assist NJTs in understanding their professional roles, demonstrating professional values and conduct as well as acquiring the latest developments in education policies and practices. As the content of the core training is different from that of the school-based induction/ support programmes, NJTs must complete the core training offered by EDB. Moreover, SSB/ school-based induction programmes for NJTs can be counted as elective training.

The elective training programmes mainly include professional development programmes/ activities related to Key Learning Areas or subjects and fostering students’ whole-person development. Generally speaking, most of the courses posted on TCS are regarded as elective training programmes. To facilitate teachers’ enrolment in relevant programmes and assist NJTs in identifying the core and elective training programmes/ activities, course organisers provide programme/ activity details with clear indication (please see below).

On TCS, only the courses marked as “New Teachers (Core)” or “New Teachers (Elective)” can be counted towards the core or elective training hours for NJTs respectively. Other courses (including those only marked as “All Teachers (Core)”) cannot be counted towards the training hours of NJTs.

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?

The elective training for NJTs must be structured learning, including local/ non-local education conferences, seminars, thematic lectures, workshops, study tours within or outside Hong Kong and courses related to teaching qualifications. Other modes of CPD activities, such as collaborative lesson planning and peer lesson observation, are not regarded as elective training. These hours may be counted as training other than the core (30 hours) and elective (60 hours) training when achieving the goal of undertaking 150 hours of CPD activities every three years.

C. Enrolment

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

EDB uploads the “Year Calendar of Core Training for Newly-joined Teachers” to the dedicated webpage for Training Programme for NJTs (https://www.edb.gov.hk/njt/en) at the beginning of each school year to enable schools and NJTs to grasp the information on core training programmes organised each school year and plan for enrolment of the relevant courses as early as possible. Teachers can also browse the latest course information on the Training Calendar System (https://tcs.edb.gov.hk).

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

Teachers can apply for the courses through the Training Calendar System (https://tcs.edb.gov.hk). They can click the following buttons to identify and check for the relevant training courses.

In addition to the courses organised by EDB, some structured learning programmes/ activities organised by the teacher education universities, school-sponsoring bodies or schools (including local/ non-local education conferences, seminars, thematic lectures, workshops, online courses, study tours within or outside Hong Kong, as well as courses that lead to teaching qualifications) can also be counted as elective training. After completing the programmes/ activities, teachers need to input the relevant information into e-Services Portal and submit it to the school for verification. Only verified activities can be included in their own CPD activities.

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?

EDB provides sufficient core training programmes every year for eligible NJTs to enrol and complete within the three years training period. Information of core training programmes organised every school year is available on the Year Calendar of Core Training uploaded on the designated webpage for the Training Programme for NJTs (https://www.edb.gov.hk/njt/en) and will be updated from time to time. Due to the limited quotas for each course, schools and teachers are advised to formulate the training plan in advance to avoid enrolling in the relevant courses immediately preceding the conclusion of the training periods.

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

To ensure the proper use of public funds, teachers can only enrol in the core training programme for NJTs after being employed by publicly-funded schools as full-time teachers and setting up an e-Services Portal account.

D. Viewing Training Progress

How can NJTs view their training progress?

NJTs can log on to EDB e-Services Portal (https://eservices.edb.gov.hk) to view their training progress. Details are as follows.

1.1 Select “Training Programme for Newly-joined Teachers” under “Professional Ladder for Teachers”.

1.2 View the details of the core and elective training completed, including the training hours, the end dates of the courses, etc. Each core training course should be taken once only. For repeated enrolment, no CPD hours will be awarded.

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

EDB provides e-Services Portal (https://eservices.edb.gov.hk) for teachers to save their training records. Schools can closely monitor the training progress of NJTs through the system, and support them in meeting the training requirements at different stages of the profession in accordance with the guidelines of EDB and their schools. In general, the training records of NJTs in completing the core and elective training are automatically included in e-Services Portal. For the programmes/ activities which are not applied through the EDB Training Calendar System , schools should request NJTs to log on to e-Services Portal to input the training data by themselves upon completion of the programmes for schools’ verification.

The details regarding the school’s review of the list of NJTs and their training progress are as follows:

2.1 After logging on to e-Services Portal, select “Training Programme for Newly-joined Teachers” under “Professional Ladder for Teachers”.

2.2 School can view the list of NJTs and their “Completed Hours of Training Programme for Newly-joined Teachers”. Teachers who are not regarded as NJTs would not be included in the list.

2.3 Select individual teachers and click “Search” to view their training details, including the names and end dates of the courses.

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?

To enable schools to understand and maintain the training records of all NJTs serving in their schools, irrespective of whether they have reached the training end dates or completed the training requirements, the list on the e-Services Portal will show the names of all NJTs. If the teachers concerned have already completed the training requirements for NJTs, schools do not need take any follow-up actions.

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 a teacher has completed a training programme that was not enrolled through the EDB Training Calendar System, the teacher or the school can log on to EDB e-Services Portal and input the relevant information in the “Teachers CPD Activities Records” and indicate the option for “if the course is an Elective Training Programme for Newly-joined Teachers” for the system to recognise the corresponding activities. Schools should review whether the training programmes/ activities completed by teachers meet the requirements of elective training programme for NJTs in accordance with EDBC No. 6/2020 and EDBC No. 29/2024, and verify the records to ensure accurate calculation of training hours.

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

Upon re-employment in a publicly-funded school, the teacher concerned only needs to complete the remaining courses and does not need to retake the courses they have already completed.

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?

Schools should regularly review NJTs’ participation in CPD activities and report to management committees/ IMCs/ SMCs for appropriate follow-up. If NJTs fail to meet the training requirements, management committees/ IMCs/ SMCs should continue to follow up and provide guidance for NJTs to meet the training requirements as early as possible. In addition, management committees/ IMCs/ SMCs could analysis the information on teacher training to devise school-based teachers’ professional development plans.

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

EDB has attached great importance to the quality of the teaching profession. Starting from the 2020/21 school year, NJTs are required to complete 30 hours of core training within the first three years of service. The relevant requirements have been clearly stated in EDB’s circulars and website. EDB has also provided sufficient places for eligible teachers to apply. In addition, EDB has reminded schools and NJTs to complete the Programme as early as practicable through issuing circulars and letters from time to time. With proper planning, teachers should be able to complete the Programmes within three years.

However, if a teacher is unable to attend the programmes due to circumstances beyond their control or special reasons (e.g. pregnancy, sickness or injuries), the teacher concerned is required to make an application through his/her serving school and provide supporting documents. EDB will consider his/her situation on an individual basis. EDB is committed to ensuring that all personal data are handled in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (PDPO). If the application is rejected, NJTs can lodge an appeal to the Bureau in writing through their serving schools by giving valid grounds of objection with other supplementary information /documentary proof (if applicable) within 14 calendar days from the date of the reject letter. Relevant application must be submitted to EDB by post or in person within the above period for consideration.

E. Teachers who fail to meet the core training requirements

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

Teachers should actively equip themselves to keep up with the times. The Guidelines on Teachers’ Professional Conduct formulated by EDB clearly stipulates the professional conduct and norms of behavior required of teachers. As stipulated in Code 8 of Chapter 3 of the Guidelines, teachers should actively participate in continuing professional development activities to enhance their professional competence and meet the training requirements at different stages of profession in accordance with the guidelines of EDB and their schools, striving to safeguard the image and dignity of the education profession.

EDB has attached great importance to the quality of the teaching profession. Starting from the 2020/21 school year, NJTs are required to complete 30 hours of core training programmes within the first three years of service. The relevant requirements have been clearly stated in EDB’s circulars and website. EDB has also provided sufficient places for eligible teachers to apply. In addition, EDB has reminded schools and NJTs to complete the Programme as early as practicable through issuing circulars and letters from time to time. With proper planning, teachers should be able to complete the Programme within three years. If teachers fail to complete the Programme within the specified timeframe as required by EDB and violate the above-mentioned code of professional conduct, EDB will follow up seriously, including reviewing the registrations of the teachers concerned from the perspective of professional conduct and taking appropriate follow-up actions against them according to the circumstances, such as issuing warning letters or advisory letters.

As employers of teachers, schools have the responsibility to monitor and ensure that teachers actively participate in training, including arranging NJTs to complete the relevant core training programmes before the end of their training periods. If NJTs fail to meet the core training requirements, EDB will request explanations from the management committees/ IMCs/ SMCs of the schools concerned and issue management letters to the schools as appropriate.

According to the records, the vast majority of teachers can meet the training requirements. EDB encourages teachers to complete the designated core training as early as possible. In addition, EDB urges schools to closely monitor the training progress of relevant teachers, make arrangements and provide assistance as appropriate.

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?

Schools can continue to employ these teachers, and these teachers are still required to participate in the incomplete core training. EDB will continue to follow up and arrange for them to participate in designated sessions of the core training programmes so that they can complete the relevant training as early as possible. If the teachers concerned fail to complete the training as scheduled, EDB will take further follow-up actions, including considering cancellation of their teacher registrations.

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?

If the teachers concerned change schools or are employed by publicly-funded schools after a break in service, schools can only employ them on a daily-rated basis until they complete all the designated training. Schools are required to notify the School Leadership and Professional Development Section of EDB by email (ctnjt@edb.gov.hk) within 14 calendar days upon the commencement of the teachers’ services so as to facilitate EDB’s follow-up of their training arrangements. After reviewing the employment status of the teacher concerned (e.g. the terms and length of employment), this Bureau will issue a letter to inform the relevant school and teacher about the arrangement for the designated training, and the teacher must attend the above-mentioned designated training courses during their employment. If the teachers concerned fail to complete the training as scheduled, EDB will take further follow-up actions, including considering cancellation of their teacher registrations.

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.)?

Schools can employ teachers under any terms upon the completion of the core training requirements by teachers who have received warning letters or advisory letters for failure to meet the core training requirements. If a school wishes to convert a teacher’s employment from a daily-rated to a monthly-paid basis, the days worked by the teacher before completing the required core training cannot be counted towards the days paid on a monthly salary basis. For details about employment matters, please refer to Paragraph 7.2 of Chapter 7 of the School Administration Guide.

However, in all circumstances, schools must adhere to the Education Ordinance, the Education Regulations and the Codes of Aid, and uphold the principles of meritocracy, natural justice, equal opportunity and fairness in handling all appointment, personnel, and staff-related matters. When hiring teachers, schools should consider various factors to determine applicants’ suitability for the position, including evaluating their integrity, teaching ability, work attitude and professionalism.

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?

As stipulated in Code 8 of Chapter 3 of The Guidelines on Teachers’ Professional Conduct, teachers should actively participate in continuing professional development activities to enhance their professional competence and meet the training requirements at different stages of profession in accordance with the guidelines of EDB and their schools, striving to protect the image and dignity of the education profession. If the teachers receiving the warning letters or advisory letters fail to complete the training as required, the Bureau will take further follow-up actions including considering cancellation of their teacher registrations.

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?

If a teacher transfers to another school or is re-employed by a publicly-funded school after a break in service, the school can only hire them on a daily-rated basis. If the school does not comply with this requirement, it must bear the teacher’s salaries itself. EDB will also take follow-up actions and require the school to refund any overpaid salaries.

As an employer, the school has the responsibility to thoroughly understand the personal background of applicants during recruitment, including whether they have completed the required training. With the applicant’s consent, the school should apply to EDB for the release of the applicant’s teacher registration information to ensure that the candidate is a fit and proper person for appointment. If the teacher’s registration information reveals that the teacher has received a reprimand letter/ warning letter/ advisory letter, the school should enquire about the details and request proof, and carefully consider whether the teacher is an appropriate candidate. Whether the applicant is employed or not, the IMCs/ SMCs should discuss the decision and record the deliberations. Please refer to EDBC No. 14/2023 for more details.

F. Others

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

With the prevailing CPD policy for teachers remaining unchanged, NJTs should also undertake no less than 150 hours of CPD activities in each three-year cycle, including 30 hours of core training for NJTs and 60 hours of elective training.

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?

EDB provides the Teacher Relief Grant in a block grant mode to aided schools with an IMC, which aims to enhance the flexibility of resource utilisation and streamline the administrative procedures for hiring supply teachers. The Teacher Relief Grant includes a recurrent cash grant for hiring supply teachers, and with prior approval from the IMC, the majority of teachers and parents, schools can also choose to freeze up to 10% of the approved teaching staff establishment to apply for an additional non-recurrent cash grant, in order to appoint temporary supply teachers or teaching-related staff, purchase education-related services, or hire other support staff to meet the school-based development and needs.

EDB understands that the demand for supply teachers varies each year. Therefore, we allow schools to accumulate surplus up to three times the annual provision of the Teacher Relief Grant in the year in which the grant is provided. This enables schools to flexibly allocate resources for hiring supply teachers across school years. If the Teacher Relief Grant is insufficient, schools can also use the surplus from the Expanded Operating Expenses Block Grant to meet the shortfall.