The following is issued on behalf of the Quality Education Fund Steering Committee (QEFSC):
Nominations for the Chief Executive¡¦s Award for Teaching Excellence (ATE), the first of its kind organized by the Quality Education Fund, will be invited from November 3, 2003 to January 15, 2004.
¡§The ATE is a scheme for teachers which aims to recognize exemplary teaching practices and to foster a culture of collaboration in the teaching profession. Supported by the Chief Executive, the Scheme reflects the importance the Government attaches to the teaching profession, and education in Hong Kong as a whole,¡¨ the Chairman of QEFSC, Mr Tai Hay-lap, said today (November 2).
¡§The ATE is organized as a pilot and open to teachers teaching the Chinese language (including Putonghua) and the English language in primary and secondary schools, and those involved in language education or development activities in special schools and kindergartens,¡¨ Mr Tai said.
A Chief Executive¡¦s Award for Teaching Excellence Sub-committee, chaired by Mr Pang Yiu-kai, has been established under QEFSC to run the Scheme.
Selection of awardees will be based on merits centering around five domains, namely, professional competence, student development, commitment to the teaching profession and the community, professionalism and school development. The current plan is to announce results of the awards in September 2004.
¡§The ATE has two distinctive aspects. First, we have put our focus on ¡§teaching practices¡¨ instead of teachers, as it is teaching practices that can be shared among the teaching profession. Second, the Scheme does not stop at the award presentation ceremony. There will be post-award sharing activities which will help foster a culture of collaboration,¡¨ Mr Tai said.
¡§We know teachers do not work alone. As we encourage team work and collaboration, the ATE will also accept nomination of a group of teachers,¡¨ he said.
Mr Tai urged the teaching professionals and parents to give full support this meaningful Scheme and join hands to strive for excellence.
Individual awardees and group awardees will be presented with a scholarship of $25,000 and $50,000 respectively, in addition to a trophy and the membership of a professional assembly of awardees which will serve for the betterment of the teaching profession in Hong Kong.
Subject to review and resource availability, the Quality Education Fund will consider extending the Scheme to teachers of other subjects in future.
Leaflets on the ATE and nomination forms can be obtained from the QEF Secretariat, Regional Education Offices of the Education and Manpower Bureau and District Offices, or downloaded from the ATE web site at http://www.info.gov.hk/qef/ate . For enquiries, please call the hotline 2123 6054 or send an email to send an email to ate@emb.gov.hk .
End/ Sunday, November 2, 2003