Foreign teachers in HK must swear allegiance

HONG KONG: Foreign English-language teachers working in Hong Kong government schools will need to swear allegiance to the city, officials told AFP on Saturday, as fears grow about the territory’s ability to retain educators in the face of increasing restrictions.

Hong Kong’s Education Bureau said that Native-speaking English Teachers (NETs) and advisers working in government-run schools must sign a declaration by June 21 in order to continue working in the coming school year.

Since 2020, Hong Kong has applied oath-taking requirements to an increasing number of jobs, mainly those in the public sector, as a way to fulfil Chinese government demands of loyalty.