Qualifications for Appointment of PNETs

Qualifications for appointment of primary teachers (PNET)

The applicant should be a native-speaker of English (meaning English being the person's native language) or possess native-speaker English competence. Preference will be given to applicants with experience in teaching English as a second/foreign language. For appointment in special schools, preference will be given to applicants who have special education training and/or experience in teaching students with special education needs.

Applicants 59 or over are ineligible to apply.

Those applying for primary positions require qualifications outlined in the 5 categories below and will be considered according to the following order of priority:

Category 1 (to be appointed at Assistant Primary School Master/Mistress (APSM) rank)

(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; and

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

(iii) a Teaching of English as Foreign Language or a Second Language (TEFL/TESL) qualification at least at certificate level.

Category 2 (to be appointed at APSM rank)

(i) a bachelor's degree in any subject from a Hong Kong University or equivalent; and

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

(iii) a TEFL/TESL qualification at least at certificate level.

Category 3 (to be appointed at APSM rank)

(i) a bachelor's degree in any subject from a Hong Kong University or equivalent; and

(ii) a recognized teacher training qualification; and

(iii) a TEFL/TESL qualification at least at certificate level.

Category 4 (to be appointed at APSM rank)

(i) a bachelor's degree in any subject from a Hong Kong University or equivalent; and

(ii) a TEFL/TESL qualification at least at certificate level.

Category 5 (to be appointed at Certificated Master/Mistress (CM) rank)

(i) a recognized teacher's certificate obtained after at least 2 years' full-time study or equivalent; and

(ii) a TEFL/TESL qualification at least at certificate level.

Note:
* Candidates who are considered for appointment but possess non-local qualifications, the qualifications will be assessed by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic & Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ). If their quailifications are assessed by HKCAAVQ as comparable to a local bachelor's degree, their qualifications will normally be considered equivalent to a bachelor's degree from a Hong Kong University. The Government reserves the right to make the final decision as to whether the qualifications of a candidate are equivalent to a bachelor's degree from a Hong Kong University

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

It is possible to apply for a PNET position if you have enrolled in an appropriate TESOL certificate course and can show evidence of this enrolment and the course can be undertaken in 2010.