Page 43 - Progress Report

Many education systems worldwide attach Discussions with stakeholders reflect that mentoring
importance to mentorship for teachers transitioning support in Hong Kong could be further strengthened
into new career stages. This is especially important and facilitated. Mentoring should also be arranged
for fresh graduates joining the field, since the first for teachers who have assumed new leadership

few years of teaching are generally considered roles, to help them master the skill sets for their
most critical to their long-term professional new responsibilities. COTAP proposes, therefore,
growth. In countries such as Singapore and the UK, to develop a comprehensive mentorship scheme,

mentorship for novice teachers embraces relevant T-craft , to provide practitioners transitioning into
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and comprehensive learning experience, with one new career stages (including student and novice
to two years of coaching from expert senior teachers teachers, middle leaders and newly-appointed
who serve as mentors. principals) with on-site support for learning their
craft.

In Hong Kong, novice teachers are provided with
school-based mentoring support in their first year Under T-craft , a central pool of quality mentors
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of experience under the Teacher Induction Scheme, could be formed from experienced high-performing

which offers them a comprehensive environment teachers and school leaders, who could be deployed
conducive to their developing professionalism. The to offer support services, counselling and practical
Induction Tool Kit introduced by the then ACTEQ advice to schools on the implementation of school-
in 2008 provides the framework for systematising based induction and mentoring, train the trainers,
the mentoring processes under the school-based and establish regional networks for interactive

Teacher Induction Scheme. Mentors attend exchange and experience sharing. Stakeholders are
a Mentorship Training Programme for Teachers of the view that accomplished teachers honoured
offered by the EDB, which helps prepare with the Chief Executive’s Award for Teaching

experienced teachers to assume the role of mentors Excellence (CEATE) could be a valuable resource
for novice teachers in a school-based context. New for supporting this proposed mentorship scheme.
school leaders also receive mentoring support Distinguished experienced principals would also be
and, under the Structured Support Programme, invited to support the scheme.
newly-appointed principals can, through meetings,

networking and sharing of practical experience,
seek advice from their mentors, who are mostly
experienced principals.

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