Job information for Hong Kong

Teaching for ITS in Hong Kong

Here is a general outline of the teaching conditions for tutor positions at ITS. This is relevant to those recruited both locally and from overseas. Have a look at our job vacancies here.

Full-time contracts are for a minimum of one academic year, but may be for longer and are often open-ended. Many full-time tutors end up taking multiple contract extensions. Part-time, freelance, and project-based contracts will vary in length as appropriate.

Full-time tutors are paid monthly, in Hong Kong, in Hong Kong dollars. There is no income tax deduction at source; all employees are responsible for their own end-of-year tax return. The basic salary for overseas recruited tutors as at May 2023 is equivalent to approximately USD43,000, GBP34,000, Eur39,000, AUD63,000 per year before tax. Bonuses are added to this. Most teachers earn bonuses which kick in when average weekly contact hours exceed 23-25 hours.

All candidates must have a degree relevant to subject area and it is a distinct advantage to have some teaching experience, although not necessary.

Send a query to [email protected].

Company History
ITS Tutorial School was founded in October 2005. Today, ITS employs around 50 full and part-time tutors. We are the only alternative school for IGCSE and A-level in Hong Kong and have a small cohort of full-time students who cannot/do not want to use the mainstream system. We tutor students from across the international sector both in Hong Kong and online. We are Hong Kong’s first and leading SDG Education provider and advocate, accredited through the UN and offering our own programmes to this aim. We run both  for-profit and not-for-profit companies.

Following is a broad outline of the work and the conditions of employment and should be sufficient to give you an idea of whether or not you wish to apply. We recommend that you also do some pre-application research about Hong Kong and what it is like to live here. 

Our Ethos
ITS provides a nurturing and stimulating learning environment. We are dedicated to providing a consistent quality of education that cultivates and nurtures students’ intellect at every stage of their academic lives.

We are continually responsive to any changes in the dynamic educational environment around the world that may affect our students. We endeavour to provide an international educational environment which is enjoyable and rewarding. We are committed to the focused enhancement of knowledge and skills that are integral to successful accomplishment in both school and society. We embrace the latest pedagogical developments and appropriate technological developments to provide a 21st century education.

Our community of both staff and students is multinational, multi-ethnic, of all ages and backgrounds, sharing a common desire to engage in the learning fostered by these principles. We embrace the principles of the United Nations and set our behaviour and our learning and community goals for the 21st century within the framework of the UN SDGs.

Teaching
Our tutorial students are mainly secondary school age and in full-time education either in Hong Kong or overseas (UK, US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand etc). The majority of these students are generally seeking either an improvement in their exam grades, help with their school work or both. We also teach primary and tertiary-level students.

We prepare students for a variety of examinations including IGCSE, GCSE, AS/A-levels, IB, HKDSE and a variety of other exams. We also prepare students to sit entrance exams for independent schools in the UK and other countries, as well as provide tuition and support with other exam preparation such as Young Learners, IELTS, SAT etc. 

Since 2010, ITS has been a registered Edexcel Academic Centre (92885) and a registered UCAS centre (S45903). We now have full-time students, part-time students and also independent exam takers which use us as their centre.

We were early adopters of specialised virtual/remote schooling and have had a custom online class running since 2012.

In 2020 we launched the Young Changemaker Incubator which helps young people start social enterprises as part of the United Nations SDG program. Students are mentored through their own start-ups for issues relating to the SDGs.

Hours
Teaching takes place at the school premises in Central, Hong Kong and we also allow WFH. Tutors are not required to travel to students’ homes. The teaching day varies between tutors and at different times of the year.

Full-time
For the majority of the year, tutorial support lessons begin around 3pm and go through to 8pm. On Saturdays tutors work from 9am to 6pm.  During school holidays we are very busy as many students from overseas return to Hong Kong and enrol in extra holiday tuition. Tutors can work a nine contact-hour day during school holiday periods, with an hour for lunch break. Year round the average working week is 22 to 25 hours.

Full-time tutors are also the priority for our full-time students who take lessons in the morning.

Part-time
Hours for part-time tutors are completely negotiable between ITS and the individual tutor.

Salary Package
The base pay is calculated on an average workload of 22-25 hours per week.  Attractive bonuses are paid for extra income generated beyond the average. This is calculated over a six-month period and then paid six months in arrears, i.e. at the end of the first year and every six months thereafter.

Part-timers are paid an hourly pro rata amount commensurate with the market.

Holidays
Paid holidays accrue at one day per month worked. Hong Kong also has 17 public holidays per year. On these days tutors are not required to work but may choose to work on these days if there is a demand from students. This is most likely during a school holiday period such as Easter, when there are many overseas students who have returned to Hong Kong for term break and who are taking extra lessons.

Holidays cannot be taken during ITS busy periods (school holidays).  

Length of contract
Contracts are usually for at least one year, and may be open-ended.

Note: ITS requires, at minimum, two months’ advance notice of resignation.  Tutors who break their contracts will not receive any outstanding bonus payments or gratuity if applicable.

Contracts for tutors recruited internationally
Terms and conditions of employment are broadly similar for tutors recruited locally and internationally.

Arriving and living in Hong Kong (for tutors recruited internationally)
ITS pays the return airfare on the first contract. 

Accommodation is not provided by the company. The company will help tutors find somewhere to live (if help is desired). ITS will pay the first two weeks for a tutor to reside at a guest house or provide some other suitable very short-term accommodation while tutors find a place to rent. If accommodation is not found in this time, the company will continue to pay for the guesthouse while a flat is found but these additional payments will then be deducted from the first month’s salary.

Accommodation is very easy to find in Hong Kong. New tutors should be aware that flats in Hong Kong are quite small. It is standard when renting a flat in Hong Kong for tenants to pay two months' rent as a security bond and one month's rent in advance. ITS will help new tutors with these up-front charges if necessary. It is usual for this assistance to take the form of a salary advance which will then be deducted directly from the tutor’s wages over the first six months. A longer repayment period may be negotiated upon request.

A standard flat appropriate for those at this pay scale in Hong Kong would be approximately HKD7 – 10K per month without utilities. Shared accommodation can be cheaper.

MPF
Hong Kong has a Mandatory Provident Fund (retirement fund) scheme. Expatriate staff members are exempt for the first 13 months working but must join thereafter meaning a 5% deduction up to a maximum of $1500 per month. This is matched by an additional 5% ($1500) from the employer. Tutors are eligible to receive the money contributed to this scheme when they leave Hong Kong permanently and surrender their Hong Kong I.D. card. Obviously, this is not relevant to tutors who only complete an initial one-year contract.

Any further questions please email us at:

[email protected]