Hong Kong visa requirements - Proof of Practicum Hours

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Verano
Posts: 26
Joined: Tue May 05, 2020 3:11 pm

Hong Kong visa requirements - Proof of Practicum Hours

Post by Verano »

I had an interview with a school in Hong Kong several years ago, was one of the the final candidates and didn’t get the job. I was asked to submit the proof of practicum hours, which my teaching certificate didn’t require and I did do some hours but my university in the US didn’t have any record of that probably because it’s been more than a decade, if not more. So I think this was why they decided to go with another candidate.

People who have worked in Hong Kong before, is this the norm? Did you have to submit your proof of practicum hours to get a work permit?
PsyGuy
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Post by PsyGuy »

There are really two questions here.

First, did you do field experience? Its difficult to imagine a state DOE issuing a regular type (as opposed to permit type) credential at the Professional grade level that doesnt include a field experience component? Its usually the field experience component that defines the difference between an Entry grade and Professional grade credential.

Second, if you did a field experience component its unbelievable that there is no record, not anywhere? Your Uni would have a record of the course that provided you the field experience element. Either the register or the department of edu, possibly even a field coordinator whose job is to do nothing but coordinate the field experience placement.
Next would be the DS/IS you did the field experience at, they would have to have some record or documentation that you were working with the children, and while its possible that the DS/IS doesnt exist anymore, some state agency would be responsible as custodian of those records which would include various HR and other types of documentation. Even if the DS/IS didnt have that information on site a LEA/District Office would have something somewhere.
Next would be a state DOE as they like keeping track of people who have contact with children.
Its just to quote the Sicilian, inconceivable, that no matter how many years later there isnt some fragment or remnant of documentation somewhere that doesnt have some evidence of your field experience.

In HK, which is a bit of an anomaly in IE, as they require every K12/KS IT to hold a credential as either a PT (Permitted Teacher) or RT (Registered Teacher). This doesnt apply to ETs and ESOL who are exempt from the requirement in private ESs. So to the two questions.
1) You do not need field experience to qualify for a visa to work in HK, such as is the case for an ET. You could get into HK without it.
2) To qualify for the PT credential status you just need a degree qualification and an appointment by an IS. You dont need field experience or pro. edu. training such as an EPP/ITT program or certificate. So you wouldnt need field experience to work in an IS with this credential level or to qualify for a visa at this level either.
3) Usually though thats not what ISs want, they want an IT who has or qualifies for the RT credential level. The HKCAAVQ, which is responsible to the MOE for assessing applications for RT look for the equivalent of a HK PGDE and field experience is a crucial element to that. Without field experience your wouldnt qualify for the RT credential and an IS couldnt sponsor you for a visa as an RT.
Verano
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Joined: Tue May 05, 2020 3:11 pm

Re: Hong Kong visa requirements - Proof of Practicum Hours

Post by Verano »

Thank you Psyguy. I went through my emails that I sent the university, and they recommended calling the registrar’s office, because the registrar doesn’t have an email, which I also find strange. I’ll call them and see. As for the school where I did my practicum, they don’t even answer my request for a letter of proof of employment. So it will be challenging to even get a reply from them, although not impossible.
nalfc
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Re: Hong Kong visa requirements - Proof of Practicum Hours

Post by nalfc »

Yes I had to get this to register as a teacher here, I contacted the university I did my PGCE at and they filled in a template and sent it back. There are a lot of hoops to jump to get into HK, I guess that’s why schools recruit from within the place itself.
PsyGuy
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Post by PsyGuy »

Its in part why HK has its own job fair.
SideOut
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Re: Hong Kong visa requirements - Proof of Practicum Hours

Post by SideOut »

I have a somewhat similar question, so I hope you don’t mind me piggybacking on your thread, Verano. If this is better off as a separate topic, please let me know, and I will create one.

I completed the Teacher Ready course a few years ago, which has a practicum teaching period of just 1 week. I then used my U.S. teaching credential to obtain UK QTS. Currently, I am happily employed in an international school in a country that does not have a clear minimum requirement of practicum teaching period. However, looking towards the future, I would like to be able to work in Hong Kong and qualify as a Registered Teacher there. As I understand it, I would not qualify at the moment due to one, or possibly two, factors:

1. Practicum teaching period was too short.
2. Length of teacher qualification course (Teacher Ready was an 8 month course, but I completed it early) – Would this be an issue?

Does anyone know of any additional qualification that I could obtain that would allow me to qualify as a RT in HK? I understand that the Sunderland PGCEi would work, but it seems pointless to enroll in a PGCEi when I already have a US credential and UK QTS. I do not see the value in that route.

I am interested in doing a Master’s degree in education at some point as well, and was wondering if this would be sufficient to qualify for RT status. Would having a US credential, UK QTS, and a M.Ed. be enough for the HKCAAVQ, or would they still turn me down due to the two factors listed above?
Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
nalfc
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Re: Hong Kong visa requirements - Proof of Practicum Hours

Post by nalfc »

Yes you have to have the required weeks of teaching during your teaching qualification to get the visa. The bureaucracy in HK itself is simply awful, if something is not exactly how they need it you will be rejected by the system. There is a catchphrase in HK when dealing with civil servants and that is ‘cannot’, if you have something that does not fit into their little box they tick then I am afraid it is ‘cannot’.

Getting in is very difficult, then getting out again is also very difficult, getting a bank account is very difficult, signing a kid up to a football team is very difficult. Nothing is easy, the football club registration (primary kid team for example) requires the passport, the birth certificate, a letter from the school, a signed form from parents all to be submitted before they can join.
PsyGuy
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Post by PsyGuy »

@SideOut

You actually have three problems and the third one is the bigger problem.

THE GOOD

Unless you finished Teach Ready really fast, as in less than 6 months or in less than one academic term, which I dont think you could do than the length of EPP/ITT program probably isnt an issue.

THE BAD

One week is an insufficient length of field experience to qualify for RT status. However, its not a visa issue, you could still get a visa as you would still qualify at a PT with any length of field experience. It doesnt matter if you have a US DOE credential or QTS credential from the TCL/TRA.

THE UGLY

HK is an academic pathway region and the standard the HKCAAVQ uses is the equivalent of a HK PGDE. This requires courses recorded on a Uni transcript. Teach Ready uses the Uni of Western Florida as their academic partner. You only get a couple (6 credit hours) in Uni credit for the Teach Ready EPP/ITT program which is not nearly enough to meet the equivalence of a PGDE that the HKCAAVQ is looking for to qualify as an RT.

Essentially you have two deficiencys you need a sufficient field experience (student teaching, clinical teaching, teaching practice, practicum, internship, etc.) and you need a record of academic studies/coursework.
You mentioned an M.Ed, unfortunately not any M.Ed will work for you, as youre going to need a Masters program that also contains a field work component, effectively an EPP/ITT program that also awards an M.Ed. Field experience components usually arent part of an M.Ed program that isnt part of an EPP/ITT program. It is possible to find Masters programs that have an internship option as part of their program that is available as an elective. Whether this would be accepted by the HKCAAVQ is more subjective. It depends on the degree of supervision and mentorship and if the internship places you as the TOR. It might be accepted and it might not. Usually an internship elective is one of the last courses a student takes so you wont know if its acceptable until youre done with the degree program, which is a huge investment to make and find out your still deficient.
You commented that the PGCEi from Sunderland would be a waste. The program does contain a field work component and is acceptable for RT status in HK. You can also apply 2 of the modules towards one of their two Masters programs essentially completing one year of graduate study. This would allow you to complete a suitable field experience and obtain a Masters conserving both time and coin in the process. You can also find other Uni that will accept the PGCEi program towards their Masters programs as well.

Lastly, its possible to use prior work experience in lieu of a field experience component. Its highly subjective but in practice its usually only an effective option if the experience was in an HK DS/IS.

If you have a low threshold for bureaucracy than HK may not be the place for you, but I find it no different than other little tiger regions (JP, SG, TW).
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