Building a Professional Teaching Force

70. Certainly, institutional reforms can create the conditions to facilitate improvements in the effectiveness of teaching and learning, but whether these actually will occur depends on the leadership of schools and their sponsoring organisations, the capabilities of teachers and the motivation of students. Of these, the key is our teaching force. Our teachers are devoted to their jobs. Many of them are always keen to upgrade their professional standards through continuous learning in their spare time. To provide them with greater support in the next five years, we will step up training for school principals and teachers, encourage communication and co-operation, support the establishment of a General Teaching Council and initiate continuing professional development for teachers. We will also review the performance assessment and promotion systems with a view to rewarding outstanding teachers.

[more ...]