HKU and CUHK named in national teacher training plan

Two local universities, the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, were included in the country’s second batch of pilot universities for the National Excellent Primary and Secondary Teacher Training Plan, with graduates from these two institutes to be awarded both local and mainland teaching qualifications.

The Ministry of Education announced on Wednesday that a total of 11 mainland universities and two Hong Kong universities have been included in the plan. 

Commenting on the news, CUHK said it will collaborate with its Shenzhen campus to offer a specialized two-year master's program designed for the plan. The first batch of students is expected to enroll in the 2025/26 school year.

Postgraduate students who meet the course requirements and complete the internship will be awarded locally recognized teaching qualifications, according to the Education Bureau.

The plan encourages postgraduate students from the mainland to teach in Hong Kong, while postgraduate students from the two Hong Kong universities can also be directly recognized as teachers in the mainland without further examinations. 

The Ministry of Education said the plan aims to cultivate high-quality science teachers with postgraduate qualifications, with a focus on developing courses in areas like artificial intelligence (AI) and STEM education.

Lawmaker Chu Kwok-keung, who represents the education constituency, said the development of artificial intelligence and big data varies greatly between Hong Kong and the Mainland, and he hopes such exchange can benefit students from both places.

Meanwhile, due to factors such as the limited vacancies in certain courses and the decline in Hong Kong’s school-age population, Chu estimated that the plan would have a limited impact on the employment of teachers in Hong Kong.