Teacher turnover rate in Hong Kong primary schools highest among those in English subject; education chief says situation stable
- Kevin Yeung says teachers drop out of the profession for a variety of reasons, despite recent concerns of a possible exodus over political tensions
- He points out that with the decline in the population of people of school age in the city, demand for teachers will also fall
The latest official figures released to legislators on Wednesday also showed the average turnover rates for teachers at primary and secondary schools were 4.4 per cent and 4.85 per cent, respectively, over the past four school years.
The respective average turnover rates of teachers at kindergartens and special schools, meanwhile, were 11.25 per cent and 6.95 per cent.
For the 2020-21 school year, the rates were 4.5 per cent for primary schools and 4.8 per cent for secondary schools, same as in the 2019-20 school year.
According to the report, the subject with the highest teacher turnover at primary schools in 2020-21 was English Language, with 5.3 per cent of staff dropping out. This was followed by Library Lesson, at 5.1 per cent, and Music, with 4.7 per cent.
In secondary schools, the top three subjects with the highest teacher turnover rates in that same year were: Design and Technology at 10.8 per cent; Ethics/Religious Education at 6.9 per cent; and Integrated Science at 6.3 per cent.
