By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-03-26 01:41:43 | Updated at 2025-03-27 10:37:54
1 day ago
Hong Kong education authorities will scrap a cash retention incentive and reduce a gratuity for native English-speaking teachers (NETs) to be hired under a new recruitment model in public-sector schools from September.
The decision is part of a review into the NETs recruitment scheme, under which the government will also offer a new annual lump sum based on the midpoint salaries of those hired under the existing arrangement, with primary schools getting HK$900,000 and secondary schools HK$1 million.
The details, which the Education Bureau revealed in a paper tabled to the Legislative Council on Tuesday, confirmed an earlier Post report on the introduction of a new cash grant option on top of the current arrangement for schools to choose.
Principals choosing the new option can hire at least one NET and more native English teaching assistants for their school. The current scheme only allows them one such teacher, with pay based on years of experience.
The bureau said schools opting for the new grant should determine the remuneration package for NETs after taking into account their qualifications, experience and background, and level of responsibility compared with teachers taking up similar duties.
It said it would remove the retention incentive for NETs to be hired under the lump sum option starting from the coming school year and reduce the amount of gratuity.
