本報記者

兩年一任的教協理監事會即將任滿。由於理事會選舉只有由馮偉華任會長的理事閣參選，會員需作信任投票。會長馮偉華回顧過去兩年的工作，包括回應了近日個別參選監事對理事會的批評。馮偉華表明，爭取工作從來艱難，但絕非「只有叫喊口號」，教協在多項爭取工作上，雖然未竟全功，但況狀非全無改善，他重申選舉可以激烈，但不要惡性，以抹黑爭取選票。面對風雨，理事會只會更加團結，貫徹務實處事的方針，不偏激、有理有節，他相信可獲得會員的認同。

回顧現屆理事會的工作，馮偉華不諱言，「比前兩任政府都要難打」，他形容現屆政府像一條泥鰍，「一味在縮」，原因是梁振英「根本無心做教育，對教育毫無承擔」。這兩年教育火頭處處，但說到體會最深的，他說仍然是反縮班殺校和爭取十五年免費教育。 …… 閱讀全文 →

監事會選舉即將舉行，各位會員有權和有責任運用手上的選票選出19人的監事會，勝任履行相關工作。為此，曾經擔任監事的筆者嘗試解說一下監事會的權責和職能。

從組織的結構來說，教協會的「週年會員代表大會」是「最高權力架構」，「理事會」是「行政機關」，「監事會」是「監察機制」。會員代表大會由不同類別的教育單位按會章選出的代表所組成，每年召開大會，其中主要工作是檢討過去會務運作和策劃未來會務發展方針。 …… 閱讀全文 →

前 言

教協會監事會選戰在即，傳媒引述個別候選人的批評言論，對理事會過去的工作提出質疑，甚或肆意攻擊。身為理事無意猜測發言者是昧於無知，被誤導蒙蔽，抑或別有用心，但是有責任澄清誤解和說明事實。概括而言，這些言論的其中一項「指控」直指教協會「過於保守、反應遲鈍、立場模糊」，本文旨在回應這類「指控」。（理事會對於其他具體指控的回應詳見23/1/2014記者會的〈新聞稿〉）

龐然巨象的教協會

會員逾九萬人的教協會無疑是一個龐大的組織，在教育專業範疇，社會層面以至政治環境中都具有一定的話語權和影響力。教協會立會已四十載，從工作經驗累積以及不斷持續發展而得來的，不僅是有形的資產和潛藏的實力，而更重要的是建立了務實的行事規章，以及凝聚會員的信念、理想和願景。教協會一直堅守鼎足三立的工作方向：發展專業的教育團體、捍衛權益的職工會，以及踐行公義的社會組織。

教協會會員的結構涵蓋前線教師、中層行政人員、領導層的校長、大專院校的講師等，各有不同的處境、難處、需要和期盼；會員年齡層上至年邁的退休人士下及剛出道踏足教壇的年輕伙子，其經歷、識見、價值觀和處事方式千差萬別，對人對事的立場和取態也不盡同。教協會面對的戰場幅面廣闊，觸及學前教育、基礎教育、大專教育和社會教育，問題繁複而焦點散亂；教協會的抗衡和鬥爭對象包括保守力量、建制派、以至本港和內地的當權者，勢力對比懸殊而形勢險惡。因此，教協會處理任何議題必須採取審慎態度，全面的考量和關顧不同會員的憂慮，絕不會草率作決，貿然行事。教協會一直傾向於慎重穩健，以至於後發先至。急於爭取閃亮鎂光的冒進方式，以及不作瓦全的偏激路線從來不是，將來也不該是教協會的處事特色。 …… 閱讀全文 →

A former Senate member

The election of the Senate will soon take place, and every qualified members shall have the right and duty to vote for the election of its 19 members. Therefore, as a former Senate member, I think it is a right moment to elaborate on the rights, duties and functions of the Senate.

From the perspective of organization, the Annual General Meeting of Members’ Representatives (AGM) is the supreme authority of the union and, subject to this authority the union is governed by the Executive Committee, and safeguarded by the Senate. The AGM is attended by members’ representatives elected from qualified members of the various units of the union, and it shall be held every year. The main business of the AGM is to review the past work of the union and to make plans and policies for the future development.

The conduct of the PTU’s business is vested in the cabinet-like Executive Committee. In the event of only one Proposed Executive Committee being nominated in the election, each qualified member shall case a vote of confidence by secret ballot on one-person-one-vote basis. This means that the elected Executive Committee must obtain votes of confidence of the majority of our members, who support and agree on the visions and missions of the Proposed Executive Committee. Therefore, it is a process of delegating the legitimate power to the Executive Committee for the management of the union business. Moreover, the AGM shall also pass the reports, plans and policies for the future development of the union submitted by the Executive Committee, and the Executive Committee shall be responsible for carrying out the tasks and decisions of the AGM.

The Executive Committee shall hold a weekly regular meeting and a monthly executive committee meeting respectively for the conduct of union daily business and various matters arising from the current social and political development. Work pressure could be expectedly huge when most of our office bearing members who work for the union voluntarily are full-time teachers. To enhance the power legitimacy of and the accountability of the Executive Committee, the Constitution of the HKPTU was therefore amended in the AGM of 1992, in which the Senate was introduced to safeguard the union. The relevant provisions concerning the composition, role and functions of the Senate can be found in rule 8(A) of the Constitution. *

In accordance with (1) in rule 8(A), “……he Senate shall be responsible for making the Executive Committee accountable for its arrangement and conduct of union affairs.” This implies that the Senate supervises and inspects the conduct of the Executive Committee. In the Constitution no provision makes a substantial requirement on how the Senate supervises or inspects the conduct of the Executive Committee, and the Senate shall only safeguard the main directions and principles of the union. Some more substantial requirements in the provisions include “the right to attend Executive Committee Meetings as observers” found in (6) of rule 8(A) and “to demand that the Executive Committee should review its decisions” found in (11) of rule 8(A). However, the execution of this right is not without limit or restriction, which is also stated in the provision (6) and (11) of rule 8(A), where “……not have the right to vote at Executive Committee Meetings” and “……not impose any restrictions on the Executive Committee in the management of union affairs so long as the latter abides by the rules of the union” have respectively demonstrated the balance of power between the Executive Committee and the Senate.

The Senate members attending the Executive Committee Meetings aims at supervising or inspecting whether the office bearers discuss an agenda item or make a decision in accordance with the proper proceedings, and whether a decision thus made coincides with the resolution passed in the AGM or the main objectives of the union. The Senate members also need to ensure that the resolutions made by the Executive Committee have addressed the interest of the majority of our members. Therefore, the Senate members are responsible for advising the Executive Committee on what they have observed, supervised and inspected, and also on whether the resolutions have violated the Constitution or the rule of procedure. So we are neither interfering the Executive Committee, nor participating in the resolution-making process, and we are not absolutely forming another supreme authority in the union. When some of the Senate members, or the whole Senate do not agree on a decision made by the Executive Committee, due to different personal beliefs or values, which however reflects the mainstream thinking of the members and the direction of the representatives of the AGM, the Senate shall have no right to override the resolution. Frankly speaking, in the current Constitution there is no substantial stipulations on the supervisory functions of the Senate. I think that there is still room for improvement and it needs to be thoroughly discussed and reviewed in the future when necessary.

Moreover, with reference to my past experience and observations, something should not be done by the Senate members, like that it is not an appropriate procedure of a Senate member to privately obtain the information of the union affairs from the staff without the Senate’s endorsement. A Senate member should not attend a meeting, where the confidential information of a particular staff member is on the discussion item. And it is not a proper channel of a Senate member to use Facebook as a platform to discuss or criticize the affairs of the Executive Committee. Finally, I would stress that under the Constitutional framework of the union, the Senate has its do’s and don’ts, and the candidates standing for the Senate election should know its essence. Our members should also have more knowledge on the rights, duties and functions of the Senate, and only this could enhance the healthy and stable development of the union.

*(In accordance with the rule 8(A) about the rights, duties and functions of the Senate, including: (1) When the Annual General Meeting of Members’ Representatives is not in session, the Senate shall be responsible for making the Executive Committee accountable for its arrangement and conduct of union affairs. (6) Members of the Senate shall have the right to attend the Executive Committee Meetings as observers and, with the consent of the Executive Committee, to address the meeting. However, members of the Senate shall not have the right to vote at Executive Committee Meetings. (11) The Senate may, when it considers necessary, demand that the Executive Committee should review its decisions. Such demands made by the Senate shall not, however, impose any restrictions on the Executive Committee in the management of union affairs so long as the latter abides by the rules of the union.)