Hong Kong proposes teacher licence, expands AI training under new framework
Hong Kong's education chief outlined plans for a mandatory teacher practising certificate and expanded training, including AI and digital education, with at least 50,000 annual places for teachers over three school years from 2026-27.
Hong Kong's Secretary for Education outlined plans to introduce a mandatory practising certificate for teachers and expand professional development, including artificial-intelligence training, in a Legislative Council speech on October 28.
Speaking on a motion on promoting teacher professional development in the new era, the secretary said the Education Bureau had consulted stakeholders on amending the Education Ordinance to make holding a practising certificate a prerequisite for teaching. The aim is to ensure all teachers in Hong Kong schools are suitable persons and to strengthen teacher management, he said.
The bureau is listening to industry views on implementation details, including transitional arrangements and teachers' workload, and will announce plans in due course, he added.
Since the 2020-21 school year, the "teacher professional ladder" has set training requirements: new teachers must complete 30 hours of core training in their first three years, covering professional identity and learning, including mainland study tours. Serving teachers must spend at least 30 hours every three years on courses addressing professional roles, values and ethics, and local, national and international education issues.
On digital education, the bureau published the Primary and Secondary Digital Education Blueprint in June, requiring at least 30 hours of digital-education training every three years. It has launched tiered courses on AI literacy, "AI plus subjects" and AI leadership, and will provide at least 50,000 training places annually over the 2026-27 to 2028-29 school years for teachers in all publicly funded schools, including special schools.
In patriotic education, core training for primary and secondary teachers has included the Constitution, the Basic Law and national security topics since 2020-21. The bureau has also organised courses on rule of law and national security, as well as mainland study tours.
For kindergarten teachers, the bureau has run courses on reading promotion, child diversity and learning through play, along with flag-raising workshops. A sister-kindergarten exchange programme with Guangdong province will expand to 300 kindergartens in the 2025-26 school year, with exchange training planned in Beijing, Shanghai and Zhuhai.
The secretary said the government would continue supporting teachers' professional growth and implement the practising certificate to improve the registration mechanism.