Choosing teaching in Hong Kong: A strategy to survive the financial crisis?

Choosing teaching in Hong Kong: A strategy to survive the financial crisis?

• Draper, Janet Dept. of Education Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University

Educational Research, 54(2), 199-211, 2012

Routledge

2012

• M Teachers & Education for Teachers
  • MC Teachers' Certification, Employment & Salary
• M Teachers & Education for Teachers
  • MA Professional Education for Teachers

Postsecondary Education Social Influences Barriers Teaching (Occupation) Educational Finance Employment Opportunities Birth Rate Teacher Education Teacher Supply and Demand Job Security Educational Change Labor Market Social Problems Teacher Qualifications Teacher Education Programs

• Hong Kong

• 1997.7 onwards

• Post-Secondary Education

Background: Hong Kong is currently a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. It has autonomy over many policy areas, including finance and education. It is a community of seven million people, which has changed its focus and identity significantly over the last 25 years, from predominantly manufacturing to a service and knowledge economy with particular strengths in financial services.
Purpose: This paper will consider the market for teacher education places and the market for teachers, and explore the career intention and commitment implications of high numbers of well qualified applicants applying for teaching in the context of reduced work opportunities elsewhere, an increasing higher education focus on intake scores and the challenge, for the teaching profession and the education system, of teaching becoming less secure work. Sources of evidence: Governmental and institutional publications and data, along with research and survey findings, together with comparative literature underpin the reactions to past, present and possible future effects on teacher education in Hong Kong.
Main argument: Given its financial focus, Hong Kong would be expected to suffer significantly during the recent financial crisis and that this would impact across all its sectors including Education and Teacher Education. In addition to the financial crisis, other changes have affected teacher education in Hong Kong, including major reforms in curriculum and school and higher education structure and a significantly diminished birth rate reducing posts in teaching, and raising concerns about job security.
Conclusions: Hong Kong is a very prudently managed economy with substantial reserves and a commitment to "small government" and the impact has been different from many other systems. Places on teacher education programmes remained unchanged. Applications for teacher education programmes however increased significantly during the crisis.
[Copyright of Educational Research is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2012.680044]

Contains 2 tables

• English

Journal Articles

• 00131881

• 10.1080/00131881.2012.680044

https://bibliography.lib.eduhk.hk/bibs/6c9a8537

2014-01-18