The Education Bureau today announced that the Council on Professional Conduct in Education will officially come to an end on May 1.

The bureau said with the continuous development of the services provided by the Government and professional education organisations over the past 30 years, the council's role in maintaining teachers' professional conduct and promoting their continuous professional development is no longer the same as when it was established.

After consulting the Education Commission, the bureau decided that the council will come to an end upon expiry of the current term of its members on April 30.

In the past, complaints about suspected cases of professional misconduct of teachers could be lodged with the bureau or the council.

From mid-June 2019 to the end of December 2020, the bureau received 269 complaints on the professional misconduct of teachers relating to the social turmoil. It completed all the cases except for those still under legal proceedings.

Meanwhile, the council received six relevant complaints involving four teachers but none of the cases have been submitted to the bureau for handling.

The bureau said that misconduct cases of teachers should be handled without delay. For cases being processed by the council, the bureau will approach the people concerned and take follow-up action accordingly.

The bureau added that it will strengthen collaboration with the Committee on Professional Development of Teachers & Principals, listen to the opinions of frontline educators and other stakeholders, and continue to collect views from various sectors through multiple channels, with a view to enhancing teachers' professional conduct and promoting their continuous professional development.