Rethinking the Professional Development Policy for Early Childhood Education in Hong Kong

Abstract

IN 2007, THE GOVERNMENT of Hong Kong implemented the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme to provide allowances for parents to purchase services in local preschools. The scheme includes the policy for subsidising the professional development of preschool teachers, which aims at upgrading their professional qualifications in five years, thereby improving teaching quality. This paper explores whether there is a gap between the policy objectives and teacher professional development through case studies at a time when the education reform has been implemented. Semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. The participants had some views in common about the positive aspects of the professional development policy. However, the findings also indicate that preschool teachers have a passive attitude toward learning, which might have an adverse influence on their lifelong professional development. The implications for the professional development policy and teacher professional development are discussed.