Recruitment of Native-speaking English Teachers (NETs) for Primary and Secondary Schools in Hong Kong

The Education Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region cordially invites you to apply for the NET positions in public-sector primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong.

ROLE
NETs are required to teach English as a second language to Hong Kong students and assist in teacher and curriculum development in public-sector primary schools (for students aged between 6 and 12), secondary schools (for students aged between 12 and 19) and schools for students with Special Educational Needs (SEN).

QUALIFICATIONS FOR APPOINTMENT

Applicants should be native-speakers of English or possess native-speaker English competence.^{Note 1}

Preference will be given to applicants with experience in teaching English as a second/foreign language.

Priority will be given to applicants who possess the following:

(A) For secondary school NETs

(i)    A bachelor’s degree in English Language or English Literature or English Studies or Linguistics** or a Modern Language** OR a Bachelor in Education degree (major in English or a Modern Language**, but not primary education specialist) from a Hong Kong university or equivalent;

(ii)   A Post-graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) majoring in English or equivalent;

(iii)  A Teaching of English as a Foreign Language or a Second Language (TEFL/TESL) qualification at least at the diploma level, or equivalent; and

(iii)  At least 1 year’s post-graduate experience of teaching English (preferably as a second or foreign language) at secondary school level or above.

(B) For primary school NETs

(i)    A bachelor’s degree in English (i.e. majoring in English Language or English Literature or English Studies or Linguistics** or a Modern Language**) from a Hong Kong university or equivalent;

(ii)   A recognized teacher training qualification in primary education; and

(iii)  A TEFL/TESL qualification at least at certificate level, or an equivalent course of study recognised by EDB (e.g. a Post-graduate Diploma in Education majoring in English).

Consideration will also be given to candidates not fully meeting the above requirements. Please visit the EDB’s website at http://www.edb.gov.hk/index.aspx?nodeID=262&langno=1 for the other categories of qualification requirements for appointment to the NET position.

** A degree in Linguistics or Modern Languages should be one in which English is the major language studied.

For appointment in schools for students with SEN, preference will be given to candidates who have special education training and/or experience in teaching students with SEN.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF APPOINTMENT

• The appointment will be on a two-year contract basis normally from 16 August 2012 to 15 August 2014, subject to renewal after expiry.

• The salary scales are:
  • For secondary school NETs – from around HK$22,240 to HK$51,670 (*approx. USD2,851 to USD6,624) per month (12 months a year).
  • For primary school NETs – from around HK$21,175 to HK$43,010 (*approx. USD2,715 to USD5,514) per month (12 months a year).
    
    
• An end-of-contract gratuity together with the employer’s contribution to the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) that equals to 15% of the total basic salary drawn during the period of the Contract may be granted subject to the employing school’s recommendation.
  
  
• Subject to the employing school’s recommendation, a cash retention incentive equals to 5% OR 10 % of basic salary may be provided to eligible NETs for the satisfactory completion of the third and fourth year OR the fifth year of continuous service onwards in Hong Kong respectively. The incentive is not payable for the first two years’ of continuous service.
  
  
• Passage, baggage and medical allowances AND a special allowance of HK$16,859 (*approx. USD2,161) per month are provided for appointees whose normal place of residence is outside Hong Kong. (A NET will not be eligible for the special allowance if his/her spouse is currently receiving the same allowance or any housing benefit from his/her own employer.)
  
  
• The salary, the terms and conditions of service to be offered are subject to the candidate’s qualifications and post-qualification teaching experience and the prevailing conditions at the time the offer of appointment is made.

* Based on exchange rate HK$7.8 = USD1 (subject to fluctuation).

APPLICATION
Applicants applying for both the primary and secondary school NET positions should complete separate standard application forms and mail/fax the completed forms with the required supporting documents to the following address not later than 29 February 2012. Applications received after this date will be considered for subsequent years.

NET Administration Team,
Teacher Administration Section,
Education Bureau,
Room 1321, 13th floor Wu Chung House,
213 Queen’s Road East,
Wan Chai, Hong Kong.
Fax No: (852) 2123 1239
Tel No: (852) 2892 6498 or (852) 2892 6492
Email address: netrecruit@edb.gov.hk

Standard application forms and further information are available from the EDB website at: http://www.edb.gov.hk/index.aspx?nodeID=262&langno=1 

Note 1:
Native speakers of English are people who acquire the language in infancy and develop the language through adolescence and adulthood within a community where English is spoken as the first language. Native-speaker English competence refers to the ability to use English fluently and spontaneously, to give grammatically accurate responses in communication and to write or speak creatively.
Non-native speakers of English, i.e. people who have not acquired the language in early childhood, are also suitable for employment as NETs if their English competence is not different from that of native-speakers in terms of fluency, accuracy and creativity in language use.

General Notes:
(i) You are required to produce documentary evidence of having/not having been found guilty of criminal offence (e.g. Certificate of No Criminal Conviction (CNCC)) from the countries/cities where you have resided.

(ii) Information of unsuccessful candidates will normally be destroyed 12 months after service of the application result. Candidates who have been selected into EDB’s central candidate pool but not ultimately appointed by schools for the 2012/13 school year may apply for remaining in the pool for one more year (i.e. the 2013/14 school year) by responding to an e-mail invitation issued by EDB in around March 2013.