The Education Bureau announced today the implementation details of the all-graduate teaching force policy in public sector primary and secondary schools.

The initiative was proposed in the 2018 Policy Address and will be implemented in the 2019-20 school year.

Under the policy, all teaching posts on the approved establishment of public sector schools will be graduate teacher posts.

The new measure will incur an additional annual expenditure of around $1.5 billion.

Schools may achieve full implementation of the policy in one go or in two years.

They should allow all serving non-graduate teachers holding a local bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification to be regraded as graduate teachers.

Newly joined regular teachers appointed from the 2019-20 school year onwards should possess a local bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification and satisfy all the entry requirements and standing conditions set out for graduate teachers in the Codes of Aid.

Schools should encourage serving non-graduate teachers whose current qualifications cannot meet the requirement for regrading to attain the recognised qualifications as early as possible.

For serving non-graduate teachers without a recognised degree, or those who choose not to be regraded as graduate teachers of their own accord, they may be accommodated in the current posts in their serving schools.