21 Hong Kong teachers punished for improper conduct with students, a 5-year high
Authorities struck off 10 of the 21 teachers last year, while the others received advisory, warning and reprimand letters
Twenty-one Hong Kong schoolteachers were deregistered or disciplined for having inappropriate relationships and physical contact with students in 2024, the highest number in five years, according to education authorities.
The figure was shared by the Education Bureau in a recent reply to veteran lawmaker Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee.
Ip, who is also the convenor of the Executive Council, raised concerns last Friday over the rising number of cases, criticising school management who received high salaries for failing to monitor teachers’ behaviour.
According to the bureau’s reply, the number of cases it received relating to improper teacher-student relationships or physical contact surged from seven in both 2020 and 2021 to 27 in 2022, 52 in 2023, before it dropped to 36 last year.
The bureau said it would follow up on the cases it received, including asking that schools conduct investigations and submit reports. It would also review the registration of teachers and determine disciplinary actions based on the circumstances surrounding each case.
“If teachers are found to have committed serious offences, acts of immorality or professional misconduct, the Education Bureau will issue reprimand letters, warning letters or advisory letters to the teachers concerned, depending on the nature and severity of the incidents,” it said.
“For serious cases, the Education Bureau will cancel the registration of teachers.”