【立法會議題】小學教師晉升為校長的要求及該兩類人員的薪酬水平 (The requirements for primary school teachers to be promoted to principals and pay levels of the two types of personnel) ....!

[新聞公報] 以下為今日（六月二十四日）在立法會會議上葉建源議員的提問和署理教育局局長楊潤雄的書面答覆：

有教育界人士指出，現時官立和資助小學的校長及學位教師的薪酬水平，均較官立和資助中學同業為低。例如，小學校長的薪點為總薪級表（下同）第３５至４１點，但中學校長的薪點則為第４０至４９點；一級小學校長和二級小學校長的起薪點（分別為第３８和第３５點），與中學高級學位教師起薪點（第３４點）相若。

此外，助理小學學位教師的頂薪點為第２９點，但中學學位教師的頂薪點則為第３３點。另一方面，對小學教師晉升校長的要求，亦較對中學教師晉升校長的要求嚴格。例如，小學教師須署任一年方可實任小學校長，但中學則無此規定。該等教育界人士認為，當局應提高小學校長和助理小學學位教師的薪酬水平，並檢討小學教師晉升校長的要求。就此，政府可否告知本會：

（一）官立和資助小學學位教師的薪酬低於其中學同業的原因為何；當局去年有否檢討該等差距有否構成不公平的情況；如有檢討，詳情為何；如否，原因為何；

（二）當局來年會否檢討小學校長及助理小學學位教師的薪酬水平；如會，詳情、工作時間表和預算的額外開支為何；如否，原因為何；

（三）現時對小學教師晉升校長的要求，與對其中學同業的要求有何異同，以及兩者存在差別的原因為何；當局去年有否檢討有關差別有否構成不公平的情況；如有檢討，詳情為何；如否，原因為何；及

（四）當局來年會否檢討小學教師晉升校長的要求；如會，詳情及工作時間表為何；如否，原因為何？

答覆：

（一）及（二）中、小學教師的職系和職級是經考慮多方面因素而訂定的，例如入職要求、學歷、年資和職責等。中、小學在課程內容、學與教模式、學生支援及發展需要等方面都各有不同，中、小學校長與教師的工作性質、職責和職系架構亦有異，故不應把兩者的薪酬作直接的比較。

教育局在考慮個別教育職系／職級的薪酬水平是否需要調整時，除了考慮入職要求、學歷及年資等客觀因素，亦須衡量其他相關的因素，例如：對相應資歷要求的其他公務員職系／職級的影響、招聘相關職系／職級人員的情況及政府的整體財政狀況、承擔能力等。再者，教育局必須審慎平衡不同持份者的訴求和關注，善用資源，才可制定和推行適切可行的教育政策。按目前的情況，政府現時未有計劃檢討小學校長及助理小學學位教師職級的薪酬水平。

（三）及（四）現時公營中、小學教師晉升校長，均須持有本地大學學位或同等的學歷、具備師資培訓資歷及獲得校長資格認證。由於中、小學在課程和運作等方面的差別，例如學生參加公開試制度的複雜性、課程編配的多樣化、照顧學生出路的多元需求等，中、小學教師的工作性質和職責並不適宜直接比較。此外，不同的教師職系的發展歷程亦有異，故現時中、小學教師晉升為校長的資歷及服務年資亦會按個別職系的不同情況而有特定要求。

過去數年，政府已積極回應業界的訴求，實施多項提升小學校長及教師待遇的措施，包括增設小學副校長職級、開設英文科主任級教師的職位、增加學位教師的比例、以常額編制教席取代專科教學津貼，以及將小學課程統籌主任職位轉為常額職位等。現時的教師職系架構是考慮和平衡多方面的因素而訂定的，目前運作暢順，並能兼顧不同職級的發展特性，局方現階段未有計劃就小學教師晉升校長的要求進行修訂。

完 ２０１５年６月２４日（星期三）香港時間１１時５０分


Following is a question by the Hon Ip Kin-yuen and a written reply by the Acting Secretary for Education, Mr Kevin Yeung, in the Legislative Council today (June 24):

Some members of the education sector have pointed out that at present, the pay levels for principals and graduate teachers in government and aided primary schools are lower than those for their counterparts in government and aided secondary schools. For instance, while a primary school principal's pay points are Points 35 to 41 on the Master Pay Scale (the same applies below), those for a secondary school principal are Points 40 to 49; the starting pay points for a Headmaster/Headmistress I and a Headmaster/Headmistress II of primary schools (Points 38 and 35 respectively) are at roughly the same level as the starting pay point (Point 34) for a Senior Graduate Master/Mistress of secondary schools. Furthermore, the maximum pay point for an Assistant Primary School Master/Mistress (APSM) is Point 29, but that for a Graduate Master/Mistress of secondary schools is Point 33. On the other hand, the requirements for promotion of a primary school teacher to a principal are stricter than those for promotion of a secondary school teacher to a principal. For instance, a primary school teacher is required to have one year's acting appointment before being substantively promoted to a primary school principal. However, there is no such a requirement for secondary schools. These members of the education sector consider that the authorities should raise the pay levels for principals and APSMs in primary schools, and review the requirements for promotion of primary school teachers to principals. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the reasons why graduate teachers in government and aided primary schools are paid less than their counterparts in secondary schools; whether the authorities conducted any review last year to examine if such differences had constituted an unfair situation; if they did, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) whether the authorities will review the pay levels for primary school principals and APSMs in the coming year; if they will, of the details, work schedule and estimated additional expenditure to be incurred; if not, the reasons for that;

(3) of the differences and similarities between the current requirements for promotion of primary school teachers to principals and those for their counterparts in secondary schools, as well as the reasons for such differences; whether the authorities conducted any review 1ast year to examine if such differences had constituted an unfair situation; if they did, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(4) whether the authorities will review the requirements for promotion of primary school teachers to principals in the coming year; if they will, of the details and work schedule; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

(1) and (2) The grades and ranks of primary and secondary school teachers are determined with due regard to various factors, such as entry requirements, academic qualifications, length of service and duties. Since the curriculums, modes of teaching and learning, and student support and development needs of primary and secondary schools are different, the work nature, responsibilities and grade structures of principals and teachers of the two types of schools are not the same. Hence, it is not appropriate to make a direct comparison of their pay levels.

When considering whether the pay levels of individual teaching grades/ranks should be adjusted, apart from taking into account objective factors such as entry requirements, academic qualifications and length of service, the Education Bureau (EDB) also considers other relevant factors, such as the implication for other civil service grades/ranks with similar qualification requirements, recruitment situation of relevant grades/ranks, the overall financial position of the Government and its affordability. The EDB has to balance the demands and concerns of various stakeholders prudently and make good use of resources in formulating and implementing practicable education policies as appropriate. Having considered the current situation, the Government has no plan to review the pay levels of primary school principals and Assistant Primary School Master/Mistress at this stage.

(3) and (4) Currently, aspiring principal candidates of public sector primary and secondary schools must have a degree from a local university or equivalent qualifications, possess teacher training qualifications and attain the Certification for Principalship. Given the difference between primary and secondary schools in terms of their curriculums and operation, such as the difference in the complexity of the public examination system which their students have to go through, the variety of curriculum arrangement and the attention to students' diverse needs for their exit pathways, it is not appropriate to make a direct comparison of the work nature and duties of primary and secondary school teachers. Moreover, various teaching grades have undergone different development processes. Hence, the current requirements on qualifications and length of service for promotion of primary and secondary school teachers to principals are specific to the varying circumstances of individual grades.
Over the past few years, the Government has responded actively to the demands of the sector and implemented a number of measures to enhance the remuneration of primary school principals and teachers. These measures include establishing the deputy head rank, creating senior teacher posts of English, enhancing the ratio of graduate teacher posts, providing permanent teaching posts in place of the Specialised Teaching Support Grant, and converting the Primary School Curriculum Leader post to a permanent one. The current teaching grade structure, which is determined after a number of factors have been considered and balanced, is operating smoothly with due regard to the development features of various ranks. The EDB has no plan to review the requirements for promotion of primary school teachers to principals at this stage.

Ends/Wednesday, June 24, 2015 Issued at HKT 11:50