Leading Principals Give Career Talk
Principal Cheng Lai Kuen of F.D.B.W.A. Chow Chin Yau School, Chairperson of the Chief Executive’s Award for Teaching Excellence Teachers’ Association (CEATE Teachers’ Association) and Principal Ling See Yan of CCC Chuen Yuen College (Vice-chairperson of the CEATE Teachers’ Association), delivered a Career Talk on 5 March for around 50 postgraduate students. The Graduate School invited the CEATE awardees to share their experiences to enhance postgraduate students’ understanding of the responsibilities of various positions in primary and secondary schools and to prepare them better to pursue careers in the education sector. The principals’ talk centred on the professional qualities required of primary and secondary school educators in Hong Kong, China and principals’ expectations of applicants.
The talk began with an overview of Hong Kong’s primary and secondary education system. Using F.D.B.W.A. Chow Chin Yau School (primary) and CCC Chuen Yuen College (secondary) as examples, the principals highlighted the key features of their respective school curricula. The primary school curriculum includes theme-based experiential learning and cross-disciplinary programmes. The secondary curriculum, in addition to aligning closely with the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE), places strong emphasis on developing the competencies students will need for the future.
The principals further elaborated on the teacher ecosystem in primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong, explaining that, in addition to core duties such as teaching, class management, and home–school communication, teachers are also required to lead students in after-school activities and complete professional development training.
They also provided a detailed explanation of the roles and responsibilities of both teaching and non-teaching positions, as well as the differences in entry requirements.
During the Q&A session, the principals responded to enquiries about improving job competitiveness by recommending the use of online resources to help applicants become familiar with the local teaching style. They also noted that applicants with skills in sports and the arts have a competitive edge. They also advised candidates to present themselves warmly and clearly express their educational aspirations during interviews.
