The Hong Kong Institute of Education is a self accrediting university-level institution dedicated to the education and training of teachers in Hong Kong. It is funded by the University Grants Committee and provides degree, post-graduate diploma, certificate and a range of in-service programmes to around 8,000 students.

The historical roots of the Institute can be traced back to 1939 when the Northcote Training College (re-named as Northcote College of Education in 1967) was established. With increasing interest in and demand for teacher education from the government and the public, Grantham College of Education, Sir Robert Black College of Education, the Hong Kong Technical Teachers' College and the Institute of Language in Education were successively founded to provide formal teacher education in Hong Kong.

In April 1994, pursuant to the recommendation of Education Commission Report No. 5 (ECR 5), the Hong Kong Institute of Education was formally established by amalgamating the four Colleges of Education and the Institute of Language in Education. It is mandated to upgrade teacher education and professional development programmes.

The Institute came under the aegis of the University Grants Committee in December 1996. In October 1997, the Institute moved to its new campus in Tai Po. Additional facilities such as the HKIEd HSBC Early Childhood Learning Centre and the HKIEd Jockey Club Primary School were founded on the campus in 2001 and 2002 respectively to provide support for our student teachers and demonstrate innovative practices.

In 2004 we began yet another new chapter in our history. Following an Institutional Review, the University Grants Committee concluded that we had"reached the level of maturity and effectiveness at which it is appropriate to transfer accreditation from external agencies to the institution itself". As a result, we were granted self-accrediting status. We now have the authority to approve new programmes and amend existing programmes internally. This upgraded status means that we have greater flexibilities in meeting developing demands of the community and responding to changing education policies.

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