Teachers and principals across Hong Kong could need practising certificates valid for up to three school years under a government bill covering publicly funded, private and international schools, as well as kindergartens.
The government announced that the Education (Amendment) Bill 2026 would be published in the Gazette on 13 November and introduced to the Legislative Council for its first and second readings on 25 November. The measures are proposals and have not yet become law.
The certificates would be required alongside teacher registration. The bill would also establish safeguards to prevent people convicted of offences endangering national security from teaching in schools, according to the government.
Who would be affected?
The Education Bureau says the proposed certificate requirement would apply to teachers, including principals, at publicly funded schools, private schools, international schools and kindergartens.
Publicly funded schools include government and aided schools, caput schools and those under the Direct Subsidy Scheme. Each practising certificate would be valid for no more than three school years.
Applicants would need to be serving, or due to serve, as a teacher at a school and be ordinarily resident in Hong Kong. They would also need a valid teacher registration certificate or permit to teach, or have an application for registration under consideration.
Other proposed requirements include declaring criminal convictions and declaring that they will uphold teachers’ professionalism and comply with the law.
Professional development requirement
The bureau says applicants should have completed 60 hours of continuing professional development in the 36 months before applying for a certificate.
Teachers at publicly funded primary and secondary schools would remain subject to their existing requirement of 150 hours in each three-year cycle. The bureau says the 60 hours for the certificate would count towards that total, with a further 90 hours required. It says specific details will be announced later.
The bureau says the proposed changes are intended to strengthen teacher management and professional standards and safeguard students’ well-being. It says it has consulted the education sector since September 2025 and discussed the proposal with the Legislative Council’s education panel in February 2026.
Sources: Education Bureau; Hong Kong government; RTHK.
