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Education

The Task Force on Professional Development of Teachers, set up in November 2017, studies options for establishing a professional ladder for teachers; the ranking arrangement of school management in primary, secondary and special schools; and the timetable for an all-graduate. teaching force. The task force found wide support in a consultation for the implementation of the all-graduate teaching force policy as soon as possible and submitted its timetable recommendation to the government, which later announced in the 2018 Policy Address that the policy would be introduced in public-sector primary and secondary schools in 2019-20. The task force will submit its final report to the government in early 2019.

Principals

Professional development requirements are in place to help aspiring, newly appointed and serving principals enhance their leadership knowledge and address their developmental needs at different career stages. Some 1,600 aspiring principals have attained the Certification for Principalship and about half of them have become principals.

School-based Support Services

School-based support services foster leadership at schools, particularly among middle managers; disseminate informed practices to improve learning, teaching and assessment strategies; and support professional learning among teachers. In 2017-18, the bureau provided school-based support services, including those financed by the Education Development Fund, to 300 secondary schools, 400 primary schools, 34 special schools, and 201 kindergartens and kindergarten-cum-child care centres.

Regional education offices offer school-based support services in response to the needs of students, teachers, schools and other stakeholders.

Community Participation in Education

Home-school Cooperation

The Committee on Home-School Cooperation encourages the establishment of parent-teacher associations. There are about 1,400 such associations. The bureau funded about 3,500 school- based and district-based home-school cooperation activities in 2017-18.

The Task Force on Home-school Cooperation and Parent Education, formed in December 2017, reviews the existing approach to promoting home-school cooperation and parent education with a view to helping children grow up happily and healthily. It will submit the final report to the government in April 2019.

Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education

The committee advises the government on civic education, works with the government and other parties in arranging civic education activities, and sponsors community organisations to carry out projects to promote civic education outside school. It promotes the core civic values - 'Respect and inclusiveness, 'Responsibility' and 'Love' - to encourage the public to show respect for others and fulfil their civic responsibilities. The committee also promotes the

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