Talking teaching: Secretary for Education & Manpower Professor Arthur Li officiates at the Teachers' Day 2006 ceremony.

The Education & Manpower Bureau has rolled out new initiatives to facilitate teachers' professional development, to support the 334 academic structure, Secretary for Education & Manpower Professor Arthur Li says.

Officiating at the Teachers' Day 2006 ceremony today, Professor Li said the initiatives included setting up the Education Development Fund, implementing specialised teaching in all primary schools, turning the post of primary school curriculum leader to permanent establishment, and making the basic capacity enhancement grant a recurrent provision.

"The huge investment we made shows our determination to work together with teachers to provide quality education to our next generations. We are also putting forward the sabbatical leave for the Teacher Professional Development Scheme on a trial basis as a means to provide flexibility for teachers who wish to take education-related courses for one to two years," he said.

"Participating teachers will receive up to a maximum of 80% of their salary during their study year."

Greater flexibility

The bureau has also refined the guideline for teacher salary assessment, which provides that a break between the former and the new teaching appointment of less than one year will not be considered as a break in a teacher's service.

The new arrangement gives greater flexibility to teachers for professional development, in which they can choose either part-time or full-time courses to suit their personal needs.

Some 1,300 teachers from primary and secondary schools as well as kindergartens were presented with commendation certificates at the ceremony, which aimed to foster a culture of respect for teachers.