Hong Kong kindergarten teachers' salaries: the problems and its reform proposals

Abstract

目前香港特區幼兒園教師的工資待遇缺少參考標準和必要保障,全日制幼兒園教師月薪相對偏低,且不能與其他學段教師的工資待遇同步調整,導致出現了幼兒園教師流動率和流失率雙高的現象。造成這些問題的原因是特區政府取消了幼兒園教師薪酬架構表,將幼兒園教師薪酬完全交由市場調節,而幼兒園大多缺少科學合理的薪酬制度與激勵機制,并受制于幼兒園學費有上限的規管。建議特區政府研究制定合理的幼兒園教師薪酬制度和激勵機制,把幼兒園教師工資納入辦園成本核算和財務監管范圍。此外,政府可以考慮直接向幼兒園教師發放專業資歷津貼。 There is no pay scale for kindergarten teachers salaries in Hong Kong.Full time kindergarten teachers are relatively underpaid.Kindergarten teachers salaries could not be adjusted for other teachers.Just because these problems,the turnover and attrition rates of kindergarten teacher are very high.Major causes of these problems are listed:(1) the government has canceled the pay scale;(2) used market mechanism to adjust teachers salaries;(3) there is no scientific and reasonable mechanism of remuneration and incentives in kindergartens; (4) the tuition cap for voucher eligible kindergartens has prevented kindergartens from increasing teachers’ salaries. Finally, this paper proposes some reform proposals for Hong Kong governments: (1) develop a scientific remuneration system for kindergarten teachers; (2) include teachers’ salaries into the financial accountability and management; (3) provide subsidies to kindergarten teachers according to their professional qualification.