Welcome Message
A very warm welcome to the website of our Committee on Professional Development of Teachers and Principals (COTAP).
COTAP is an advisory body which advises the Government on policies, practices and measures relating to the professional development of the teaching profession at different stages of professional growth.
We trust that a professional teaching force can effectively facilitate school development and provide quality education to our students. We earnestly look forward to working closely with all our stakeholders to contribute to this meaningful cause.
This website provides the latest information about the work of COTAP. You will also be able to find information on various teachers' professional development activities, as well as other related documents and useful links. We welcome your views and suggestions on COTAP's work or the content of this website. We would much appreciate it if these could be sent to the COTAP Secretariat for our continuous improvement.
T-EXCEL
T-excel@hk
To take forward COTAP's vision, mission, objectives and strategies, COTAP has launched an overarching project, T-excel@hk, which symbolises a teaching profession of excellence in Hong Kong with "T" standing for the teaching profession as a whole, including both teachers and school leaders. Eight areas of focus are being planned under T-excel@hk, and they will be prioritised and implemented in phases.
T-standard+
Unified set of standards for the teaching profession
T-datasetPD
Dataset built on territory-wide system survey
T-trainβ
New types and modes of training to be explored
T-surf24/7
One-stop portal for professional development
T-craft3
Three-tier mentorship scheme
T-share
Reinforcement of professional learning communities
T-applause
Promotional and
contribution schemes
T-bridge
Feasibility studies on improvement
of teacher preparation
Leadership Enrichment and Advancement Programme for Experienced Principals
To enhance principals' national awareness and professional capabilities, the Education Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government organized the Leadership Enrichment and Advancement Programme for Experienced Principals (LEAP) from March to June 2024. The programme included local component and a study tour to Shanghai. Mr. KUNG Kwong-pui Joseph and Mr. LEUNG Yiu-fai David from the Committee on Professional Development of Teachers and Principals served as the advisers for the programme. A total of 30 principals from primary, secondary and special schools were invited to participate in this programme.
Local Programme
The local programme lasted for three days, specifically on 22 March, 27 March and 14 June 2024. Through visits to business enterprises and non-governmental organizations, combined with case studies and workshops, principals gained insights into the management and culture of different sectors, broadened their cross-sector perspectives and considered education development and talent cultivation strategies as well as strategies for coping with changes from different angles.
Shanghai Study Tour
The Shanghai study tour lasted for six days, from 22 to 27 April 2024. Through workshops, lectures, company visits, and professional exchanges with entrepreneurs and educational leaders in Shanghai, principals gained an in-depth understanding of the country's social and economic development and talent cultivation strategies, thereby enhancing their national awareness and professional capabilities to lead schools and the industry in keeping pace with the times.
Principals' Sharing
After returning from Shanghai, principals wrote articles under the theme "Insights from Shanghai Entrepreneurs/School Leaders", reflecting on how to apply what they had learned to school management and development. These reflections from 30 principals were compiled into the e-publication below to share with everyone. (Chinese version only)
Finland Attachment Programme 2016/17
In August 2016, the Education Bureau (EDB) piloted an Attachment Programme in Finland (the Programme) that allowed participants to gain in-depth knowledge and first-hand experience of the Finnish education system – one that is internationally acclaimed for its education success. The Programme was first proposed by COTAP as a new type of continuing professional development (CPD) programmes for the teaching profession and was materialised after months of liaison and planning by the Professional Development and Training Division, EDB.
Seven serving teachers and school leaders as well as five EDB officers joined the Programme. To better meet their needs and enhance the relevance of the programme, the three-week programme combines two distinct types of CPD activities–i. talks/ expert sessions/ visits and ii. school attachment. Upon completion, all participants agreed that they had benefited profoundly from the learning experience.
Date : 28 August - 17 September 2016
e-Learning Package – Entrepreneurship Education in Finland
To facilitate a more effective sharing and wider dissemination of insights gained from the experience, it was decided that an e-learning package be developed on top of the Study Report to explore a specific topic in a more comprehensive and detailed way with members of the teaching profession and the public.
To this end, Entrepreneurship Education (EE) in Finland, which is one of the 7 transversal competences and key elements in the Finnish Core Curriculum, has been chosen as a topic for in-depth sharing and this e-learning package has been developed based on participants’ observations during the Programme and first-hand information collected from lesson observation, interviews and materials available.
e-Learning Package Entrepreneurship Education in Finland
e-Learning Package
Entrepreneurship Education in Finland
Content
*Suggest using screen resolution of 1280x800 or above
Programme for Leadership Enhancement for Serving Principals/ Vice-Principals
The programme, comprising two components, aimed at enabling principals/ vice-principals to possess global perspective of leadership beyond the school context. The first component involved an attachment to a business organisation or non-government organisation for four days to observe the leadership practices. The second component provided an opportunity for the participants to reflect on the attachment and share among themselves their experiential learning. Upon completion of the programme, participants would broaden their horizon and enhance their leadership in promoting school development.
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
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學習會議
學習會議
學習會議
學習會議
學習會議
學習會議
探訪機構
探訪機構
探訪機構
探訪機構
探訪機構
探訪機構
成果分享
成果分享
成果分享
2019
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在職副校長領導培訓課程 2019
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學習會議
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學習會議
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學習會議
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學習會議
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學習會議
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探訪機構
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探訪機構
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探訪機構
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探訪機構
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探訪機構
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探訪機構
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探訪機構
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探訪機構
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探訪機構
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探訪機構
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成果分享
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成果分享
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成果分享
2018
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在職校長領導培訓課程 2018
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學習會議
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探訪機構
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成果分享
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Participants' Powerpoint Sharing:
2024- Bank of China (Hong Kong)
- BGI Health (HK) Company Limited
- Hong Kong Playground Association
- Hung Fook Tong
- Raymond Industrial Limited
- St. James' Settlement (Chinese only)
- Wheelock Properties Limited
- Wofoo Social Enterprises Limited
- Caritas Hong Kong (Chinese only)
- Hong Kong Lutheran Social Services, LC-HKS (Chinese only)
- New World Construction Company Limited (Chinese only)
- Stewards
- The Boys' Brigade, Hong Kong (Chinese only)
- The Lok Sin Tong Benevolent Society, Kowloon (Chinese only)
- The Salvation Army (Chinese only)
- The Samaritan Befrienders Hong Kong (Chinese only)
- Bank of China (Hong Kong) (Chinese only)
- BGI Health (HK) Company Limited (Chinese only)
- Hong Kong Playground Association (Chinese only)
- Hung Fook Tong (Chinese only)
- Legan Group (Chinese only)
- St. James' Settlement (Chinese only)
- Tsz Shan Monastery (Chinese only)
- Wofoo Social Enterprises
- Bank of China (Hong Kong) (Chinese only)
- BGI Health (HK) Company Limited (Chinese only)
- Hong Kong Playground Association (Chinese only)
- Hung Fook Tong (Chinese only)
- Legan Group
- LightMAC Medical Skincare Centre (Chinese only)
- St. James' Settlement (Chinese only)
- Wofoo Social Enterprises (Chinese only)
- ARTE Hong Kong (Chinese only)
- Bank of China (Hong Kong) (Chinese only)
- Hong Kong Playground Association (Chinese only)
- Hung Fook Tong (Chinese only)
- Legan Group
- St. James' Settlement (Chinese only)
- Wofoo Social Enterprises
- ARTE Hong Kong
- Easy Organic Farming
- Hong Kong Playground Association (Chinese only)
- Hung Fook Tong (Chinese only)
- Legan Group
- Talent Preneur Management Consultancy (Chinese only)
- Wofoo Social Enterprises (Chinese only)
- YMCA of Hong Kong (Chinese only)
- ARTE Hong Kong
- Breakthrough (Chinese only)
- Easy Organic Farming (Chinese only)
- Henderson Sunlight Asset Management (Chinese only)
- Legan Group (Chinese only)
- OH 360 (Chinese only)
- Wofoo Social Enterprises (Chinese only)
- YMCA of Hong Kong
Sabbatical Leave Scheme for Professional Development of Teachers and Principals
Background
As announced in the Chief Executive's 2017 Policy Address, the Government would provide a non-recurrent funding of $500 million, with an annual disbursement of around $50 million, to support suitable projects under the T-excel@hk strategic work plan of Committee on Professional Development of Teachers and Principals (COTAP) to enhance the professional development of teachers and principals. "Sabbatical Leave Scheme for Professional Development of Teachers and Principals" commenced on a pilot basis in the 2018/19 school year, aiming at creating space for serving teachers and principals to participate in continuing professional development (CPD) programmes/activities that support their professional learning and meet development needs of their students and schools.
Objectives and Details
The Pilot Scheme aims to –
- create space for serving teachers and principals to plan and undertake individualised CPD programmes/activities of different modes and types to meet their professional development needs, apply their learning in the education and school contexts and to enrich their professional exposure;
- support schools to nurture professional growth of teachers and principals, and promote a culture of educational research and self-improvement contributing to positive changes and impact on learning and teaching; and
- establish a vibrant professional learning community and professional teams of teachers and principals to lead the teaching profession in striving for excellence.
The Pilot Scheme features a "sabbatical leave" period between one and five month(s) as appropriate for serving teachers and principals to take part in professional development programmes/activities. The Scheme aims to promote self-directed planning of local/non-local structured and/or individualised professional learning activities by participating teachers and principals, leading to enhanced teachers' professional growth, students' whole-person development and school development. Participating teachers and principals are required to apply their professional learning in completing planned educational research or school development projects during, and/or within three months upon completion of, the sabbatical leave period.
e-sharing Session
Documents and video clips on participants' experience sharing:
(I) By Principal MOK Oi-ling of Caritas Jockey Club Lok Yan School
(II) By Mr TSANG Sui-lun of Tai Po Old Market Public School (Plover Cove)
(III) By Ms KONG Sau-man of Tai Po Old Market Public School (Plover Cove)
(IV) By Ms CHOI Hing-ling of Tin Shui Wai Methodist Primary School
(V) By Mr YUEN Kai-lun of Shun Tak Fraternal Association Yung Yau College – (Article / Video)
(VI) By Ms TANG Pui-wah of Yuen Long Church (CCC) Long Ping Estate Chan Kwong Kindergarten
Completed Projects (Part of the contents are only available in Chinese)
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童夢 • 同行；敢夢 • 敢想；芬蘭學習體驗之旅
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建構全校參與模式的理財與品德教育校本課程/ 學校發展計劃
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校本教師專業發展系統：「分析、分段、分享」
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通過「以知識管理策略推動關愛照顧者計劃」，發展管理團隊以知識管理提升服務質素的領才
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行動研究：如何透過小組協作學習來提升學生數學科的學習動機、課堂參與及學生成績
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初中課程 • 駐校研究
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以辦學團體專責小組作為平台，與大學協作，協助學校推動正向教育，促進教師專業發展
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「啟迪思維 • 成就未來」
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深化「以閱讀統整各學科」校本課程，提升語文素養及品德情意教育
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發展及組織足球隊及其他球隊的境外交流活動和體育組培訓活動，提升老師帶領球隊的能力
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如何促進智障/自閉症學生之表達、與人互動、舒緩情緒
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有家長參與的幼兒生命教育課程-以香港幼稚園的幼兒生命教育課程作個案研究
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以表達藝術推動幼兒生命教育~研習、課堂設計與實踐
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Revamping the Phonics Curriculum
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Lead teachers to professional learning, stimulate innovative teaching and become a co-constructor of learning
Teacher empowerment for the 21st century classrooms
The effectiveness of adopting TGFU in teaching PE in Hong Kong
Empowering Learners through Partnership with the Teacher
Professional Development Plan on Learning Community Building through Establishing an Electronic Platform and Organising Events of Good Practice Dissemination on STEM Education and Flipped Classroom
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Who are eligible for the Scheme?
Ans:Applicants must be:
- permanent residents of Hong Kong;
- registered teachers;
- full-time regular teachers1 or principals in government, aided (including special schools), caput or DSS primary and secondary schools, or teachers or principals in KGs joining the KG education scheme2, at the time of application; and
- have no less than five years of full-time teaching experience in local kindergartens, primary and secondary schools3, at the time of application.
Note 1:
"Regular teachers" refers to 1) teachers on the staff establishment of government, aided and caput schools at the primary and the secondary levels, or 2) regular members of the teaching staff of DSS primary and secondary schools. Teachers employed under the Native-speaking English Teachers Scheme are not included.
Note 2:
While there is no approved staff establishment in KGs, all full-time teachers with remuneration fully paid by subsidy or school fees will be eligible.
Note 3:
Only experience in KGs will be counted for KG teachers, and only relevant experience in primary and secondary schools will be counted for primary or secondary school teachers.
Q2. Are there any preferences given to applicants?
Ans:Preferences will be given to applicants who:
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possess relevant experience in
- whole-school/KLA-level/subject-level curriculum planning; or
- coordinating and/or organising professional development activities at schools; or
- conducting educational research on learning and teaching/ professional development of teachers; or
- offering community services in the education field
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submit Scheme proposals with study plan and educational research/ school development project(s)
that are relevant to the following areas:
- enhancing teachers' professional development at the school level; or
- mentorship/ leadership development for teachers/ middle leaders; or
- cross-curricular learning/collaboration/initiatives or integrated approach in learning and teaching at the KG level; or
- student support programmes.
Q3. How long can the applicants propose for the sabbatical leave period?
Ans:
Participating teachers and principals will be granted "sabbatical leave" from one month to five months as appropriate to pursue their planned CPD programmes/activities relevant to achieving their learning objectives.
Q4. What professional development programmes/activities can applicants propose for the sabbatical leave period?
Ans:The professional development programmes/activities can be:
- local/non-local structured study programmes;
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other modes of professional learning activities such as
- serving as visiting scholars/researchers/tutors at the universities;
- participating in attachment programmes/visits in schools/institutions/organisations, organising inter-school/community activities, sharing sessions, conducting literature reviews, etc.
Q5. What are participants' responsibilities during the sabbatical leave period?
Ans:During the sabbatical leave periods, participating teachers and principals shall:
- report regularly to their school principals/supervisors on the progress of their planned CPD programmes/activities and submit learning progress reports in prescribed format to their school principals/supervisors and the Education Bureau;
- attend meetings with educational experts for professional dialogues on planning and conducting educational research/ school development project(s);
- plan and/or implement educational research/ school development project(s) in their schools;
- establish and a lead professional learning community among participants and within schools through regular meet-up and sharing sessions; and
- share their experiences regarding the sabbatical leaves, learning outcomes and outcomes of educational research/ school development project(s) in briefings and sharing sessions to benefit the teaching profession and schools.
Q6. Do participants need to submit reports upon completion of the Scheme?
Ans:
Participating teachers and principals shall submit final reports and planned deliverables of the Scheme to their school principals (for teacher applicants) or supervisors (for principal applicants) and the Education Bureau within three months upon completion of their sabbatical leave period.
Q7. Are there any teaching obligation upon completion of the Scheme?
Ans:
Participating teachers and principals shall undertake to teach full-time (for teachers) or serve full-time (for principals) for two years immediately upon completion of the sabbatical leave periods to sustain the positive impact on school development. KG teachers and principals shall serve in KGs joining the KG Education Scheme, and primary and secondary school teachers shall serve in public sector schools or DSS schools in Hong Kong.
Participating teachers and principals are required to sign an undertaking, which delineates the terms and conditions that they should comply with, upon their acceptance of a place in the Scheme. These include satisfactory completion of, but are not limited to, the following:
- planned CPD programmes/activities and professional support sessions from education experts;
- educational research/ school development project(s);
- learning progress reports and final reports of the Scheme;
- briefings and sharing sessions of the Scheme experience; and
- fulfilment of two-year teaching and service obligation upon completion of the sabbatical leave periods.
At any point of time, if a breach of the undertaking occurs, the participating teachers and principals of the Scheme shall repay to the Government the expenditure, on an interest-free basis, incurred by the Government because of his/her participation in the Scheme. For special circumstances that the undertaking cannot be completely fulfilled is due to reasons not within the participants' control such as accidents, ill health, etc., they will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Q8. What criteria will be adopted for selection of participants?
Ans:
A vetting committee will be formed to assess the application based on various criteria including eligibility of applicants, their relevant academic qualifications and work experience, action plans on CPD programmes/activities and educational research/ school development project(s) during sabbatical leave period, relevance and benefits of their action plans to the education sector and their schools, and recommendations by the school principals/supervisors, etc. Interviews may be arranged where appropriate.
Enquiries
For enquiries, please contact the School Leadership and Professional Development Section of the Education Bureau at 3509 7475.
