Frequently Asked Questions

Net Scheme in Primary Schools

Q1: Who will be my employer if I am employed as a primary school NET?
A: You will be working in one Government-subvented schools in alternate weeks. You will sign a contract with the schools and that school will be your employer. Different schools will vary in different aspects such as the background of the students, school culture, etc. You are advised to consult the school principal about these before signing a contract.

Q2: What are the school hours?
A: There are whole day schools as well as bi-sessional schools and the school hours are as follows:

Q3: What will be my working hours?
A: NETs are required to work during school hours, after school hours and sometimes on weekends to perform duties within or outside schools.

Q4: What is the class size of primary schools?
A: Number of students per class varies between 30 and 37.

Q5: How many days of school holidays are there in a school year?
A: There are a total of 90 days of school holidays per year excluding Saturdays and Sundays. Major holidays include Christmas and New Year, Chinese New Year, Easter and Summer Vacation. However, it is not unusual for teachers to be required to perform duties on school holidays.

Q6: How is my salary assessed?
A: Salary increments may be awarded for recognized relevant post-degree teaching experience on production of relevant Certificates/Statements of Service. Without supporting document, your salary will not be revised. Each Certificate/Statement of Service must include the following:

your full name (as shown in your birth certificate/ marriage certificate/ passport);
length of employment *, with exact dates; (i.e. from dd/mm/yy to dd/mm/yy);
nature of employment (i.e. whether full-time or part-time);
for part-time employment, fraction of full-time experience is needed (e.g. 0.3 full time equivalent);
nature of school (i.e. whether day school or evening school);
subject(s) taught; and
age and levels/grades of students taught.* CONTINUOUS EMPLOYMENT LESS THAN 3 MONTHS WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED.

Q7: What is Special Allowance?
A: A cash allowance is provided for NETs whose normal place of residence is outside Hong Kong. This allowance is mainly for meeting expenses on housing while you are in Hong Kong. A NET will not be eligible for the special allowance if he/she or his/her spouse is already receiving the same allowance or any housing benefit from his/her own employer. The new Special Allowance rate will be about HK$12,900 per month. The rate of the special allowance is adjustable in accordance with the rental price in Hong Kong. The exact rate to be offered is subject to further confirmation.

Q8: Issues on accommodation
A: Flats in general are smaller and more expensive according to the standard in your home country. Rental costs in different districts within Hong Kong vary greatly in price. The rent of an apartment of 700 ft2 varies between HK$7,000 and HK$10,000 excluding all outgoing expenses such as management fees, power bill, and water charges, etc. Should you wish to know more about the rental costs in different districts, you may search through some of the popular search engines for property web sites for Hong Kong properties. Some web sites also include maps and schools of different districts for your easy reference. Schools to which you are deployed will help you in seeking accommodation.

Q9: Will my round trip airfare be paid for?
A: Yes, NETs and their family are entitled to claim airfare for coming to and returning home from Hong Kong for each contract.

Q10: Is there any baggage allowance for NET?
A: Yes, reimbursement of traveling baggage expenses from and to country of origin is provided on first appointment. The rates are as stated in your contract.

Q11: How do I get the medical allowance?
A: The medical allowance is for you to take out medical insurance during your contract period. You will be reimbursed the actual expense on the medical insurance premium up to the ceiling stated in your contract.
*** The terms and conditions of service are subject to the prevailing conditions at the time the offer of appointment is made. ***

Q12: Can my spouse work in Hong Kong?
A: Spouse holding a dependent visa is not permitted to work in Hong Kong. You need to consult the Hong Kong Immigration Department when you apply for a work permit. For details of applying visas, please refer to the website (http://www.immd.gov.hk).

Q13: What schools will be available for my children's education?
A: Very likely your children will have to attend international schools. International school fees are high. For details, please refer to the webpage on "Education facilities for non-Chinese speaking children".

Q14: How much tax do I have to pay?
A: Standard income tax rate is 16%. There is no sales tax in Hong Kong. For details of Hong Kong Taxation, please refer to the Hong Kong Inland Revenue Department°s Internet website (http://www.info.gov.hk/ird).

Q15: What is Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) Scheme?
A: It is a system of retirement protection. It is statutory requirement under the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance (MPFSO) (Cap. 485) that all employees in Hong Kong have to enrol in an MPF scheme.

Q16: How much will I need to contribute to the MPF scheme?
A: The contribution rate for both the employer and the employee prescribed in the prevailing provisions of the MPFSO is 5% of the employee's income (excluding Special Allowance), subject to the maximum level of income of HK$20,000 per month.

Q17: If I enrol in an MPF scheme, will my gratuity be affected?
A: The contract gratuity payable to the NET plus the MPF contribution made by the employer in respect of the NET will be equal to 15% of the total basic salary during the contract period.

Q18: Can I be exempt from the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance (MPFSO)?
A: An employee can be exempt from the provisions of the MPFSO under certain circumstances which include, inter alia, the following:
permission is given for the person to land or remain in Hong Kong for the purposes of employment under the conditions of stay imposed in accordance with section 11 of the Immigration Ordinance (Cap. 115); and
the period during which the person is given permission to remain in Hong Kong does not exceed 12 months; or
the person is a member of a provident, pension, retirement or superannuation scheme established outside Hong Kong. (Such schemes include personal retirement scheme as well as national retirement scheme. It does not matter whether or not the member is making contributions to the overseas scheme when the person is employed in Hong Kong.)

Should you have any further queries Contact Edstaff at:
team@edstaff.com.au