The turnover rate for native-speaking English teachers working in Hong Kong secondary schools over the last academic year has reached its highest level in eight years at 13 per cent, according to the Education Bureau.

The figure was revealed on Wednesday in a written reply from the bureau to lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun. The legislator had previously asked if native-speaking English teachers were leaving Hong Kong because of the city’s strict anti-epidemic measures.

The education authority said the turnover rates for native-speaking English teachers at primary and secondary schools were 11 per cent and 13 per cent respectively during the academic year 2020-21.