Enhancement Measures on
Teacher Appointment and Related Matters
20.5.2010
Basic Principles of
Teacher Appointment
 Formulate explicit policies and
procedures to select suitable candidates
Open, fair and transparent
 Verify from various sources and be
stringent in the selection to safeguard
students’ well-being
Legitimate, reasonable and prudent
General Procedures on
Teacher Appointment
Schools should
 Formulate objective assessment criteria
 Conduct open recruitment
 Form an independent selection panel
 Consider all eligible applications
 Assess the suitability of applicants
 Keep a proper record of the assessment
results
Please refer to the relevant sections of
Chapter 7 of School Administration Guide
Enhancement measures to prevent
improper persons from serving as teachers
Before Appointment
Check the documents
- Verify carefully the qualification documents
of the applicants
Certificate of Registration as a Teacher and
Certificate of Service
- Ensure the appointees not yet registered
to apply for teacher registration before
assumption of duties
Enhancement Measures (Cont’d)
Require the applicants to declare
- Whether they have been convicted of any
criminal offence(s) in Hong Kong or
elsewhere
- Whether their registration or permission
status as a teacher has been cancelled/
refused
(in the job application form and/or other related
documents)
Require Native English Speaking Teachers (NETs) directly
employed by schools to produce a Certificate of No Criminal
Conviction or other legitimate documentary proof issued by their
countries of residence (Effective from the 2009/10 s.y.)
Enhancement Measures (Cont’d)
Let the applicants know
- Any criminal conviction may not
necessarily
render
their
applications unsuccessful
- The consequences of refusing to
provide the necessary information
When the Sexual Offences Records Check is
established, schools should adopt appropriate
measures accordingly.
Enhancement Measures (Cont’d)
Verify the information
- With prior consent of the applicants,
consult their previous employers about
their job performance and the reason(s)
for leaving, if deemed necessary
- Require the applicants to apply to EDB for
releasing their registration information to
the school in case of doubt
Enhancement Measures (Cont’d)
- State in the conditions of services
The consequences of intentionally providing
false information/ withholding any material
information
The obligation to report to the school
forthwith any criminal proceedings against
them after appointment
Enhancement Measures (Cont’d)
After appointment
Professional Conduct

Convey to all staff the expectations regarding
their conduct and performance on a regular basis
through a variety of channels
Declaration/report

Require teachers to report to the school if
criminal proceedings are instituted against them
Enhancement Measures (Cont’d)
 Report to EDB serious offence or act of
misconduct allegedly committed by a
teacher when such comes to notice
 Specify in the Certificate of Service the
reason(s) for leaving, for reference of
other schools (applicable to all staff)
Disciplinary measures
 Suspend a teacher from duties, if
deemed necessary, in case where
criminal proceedings of a serious nature
are instituted against him/her
Summary
(Verify from various sources and be stringent in the selection)
Formulate the procedures and
assessment criteria
Qualifications & Eligibility
Conduct & Experience
Require teachers to
Declare
About to appoint
Consent/ Apply
Cross-check with
Previous
employers
EDB
Prepare contracts
Appointed
State expectations/
professional conduct
Promptly report
/seek support
~ End ~
Enhancement Measures
applicable to
1. Teachers:
Temporary/ contract/ part-time/ daily-rated supply
teachers
NETs
Teachers paid out of cash grants, etc.
2. Non-teaching staff:
Staff employed on whatever terms
Coaches/ instructors leading extra-curricular
activities
Teaching assistants, etc.
3. Service providers:
Personnel deployed to work in schools
Declarations to be made in the job
application form and/or other related
documents 1(for reference)
• Declaration on any record of criminal conviction or
cancelled/refused registration or permission status as a
teacher
 Have you ever been convicted of any criminal offence(s) in
Hong Kong or elsewhere [excluding any record(s) of
conviction regarded as “spent” under the Rehabilitation of
Offenders Ordinance] ? Yes
No
 Has your registration or permission status as a teacher been
cancelled/refused by the Education Bureau ? Yes No
If yes, please provide the details:_______________________
• Any criminal conviction may not necessarily render job
applications unsuccessful.
Declarations to be made in the job
application form and/or other related
documents 2(for reference)
• The consequences of refusing to disclose the necessary
information and intentionally providing false information/
withholding any material information
For example, the applicants will declare:
 I understand that if I fail to provide the necessary
information, my job application will not be considered.
 I understand that if I intentionally provide false
information/withhold any material information, it will render
me liable to disqualification for employment, or to
termination of employment if already employed by the
school.
Brief on Sexual Offences
Records Checks
Recommendations by
Law Reform Commission (LRC)
•Establish a mechanism on Sexual Offences Records
Checks
•Apply to employees who undertake work relating to
children or mentally-incapacitated persons
•Not mandatory
•Initiated by job applicants
•Only cover prospective employees in the initial phase
•Mechanism to be implemented next year the soonest
Declarations to be made in the job
application form and/or other related
documents 3(for reference)
• Authorization by the applicants to the school
for consulting their previous employers about
their job performance and/or reasons for
leaving
 I consent/do not consent to the ABC School
making enquiries, for the purposes relating to
recruitment and appointment, to my current/
previous employers about my job
performance and/or reasons for leaving.
Revised Sample of
Conditions of Services
Including “Disclosure of Information”:
A teacher should report to the school forthwith any
criminal proceedings against him/her after
appointment. A teacher will be liable to disciplinary
action if found to have intentionally provided false
information to/ withheld any material information
from the school.
Revised Sample of
Certificate of Service
Including “Reason(s)
for Leaving”：
• Resignation due
to personal reasons
• Expiry of contract
• Dismissal
• Summary dismissal
SAMPLE
Certificate of Service