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Source:
www.moe.gov.sg |
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MOE UNVEILS $250M PLAN TO
BOOST THE TEACHING PROFESSION |
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New ¡°Grow¡± Package
Strengthens Teacher Development and Recognition |
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The Ministry of Education (MOE) will be
spending $250m over the next three years, to ensure that the teaching
profession continues to attract, motivate and retain good teachers,
capable school leaders, and dedicated specialists. |
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This was revealed at the annual Teachers¡¯
Mass Lecture on 4 September 2006, by Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Minister
for Education and Second Minister for Finance. |
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Addressing a gathering of more than 5,000
Education Officers, he introduced the new GROW package, for the
professional and personal Growth of Education Officers, through better
Recognition, Opportunities, and seeing to their Well-being. |
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The following are the key recommendations
that will be implemented in phases starting January 2007. They are based
on a comprehensive review and consultation with 2,300 teachers and
stakeholders starting Mar 2006 through till Aug 2006. |
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Professional Development and Growth |
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MOE will enhance sabbatical opportunities
for teachers to give them time to undertake purposeful professional
development. |
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We will help teachers to do so by enhancing
the Professional Development Leave (PDL) scheme. |
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Today, teachers with at least 6 years of
service can take half-pay leave under the scheme to recharge and renew
themselves. Now, an Enhanced PDL will allow a teacher who has had at
least 12 years of experience to take up to 2½ months (1 school term) of
full-pay leave (see Table 1). |
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To support our teachers in pursuing
part-time postgraduate programmes, teachers will also have the
option of either taking PDL at one stretch, or make flexi-PDL
arrangements to spread out the leave over different periods of
time. |
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MOE will introduce a new Learning &
Development Scheme. In the scheme, teachers will be entitled to claim up
to $400 or $700 per year, for any learning-related expenses that they
choose (see Table 2 below). |
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Teachers can claim for items such as
subscriptions to magazines and journals, professional societies, and
purchases of computers and IT-accessories, just to name a few. |
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In addition, every school will
eventually have a School Staff Developer (SSD), a senior personnel
whose job is to ensure that the training and professional
development programmes are customised to our teacher¡¯s needs,
while supporting the school¡¯s goals. |
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The SSD may be a more senior teacher
or a Head of Department. The SSD will also work with other Senior
Teachers and Heads of Departments to mentor and coach teachers in
the areas of teaching and career development. |
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A new centre for teacher development
will be built to serve as a focal point for the professional
development of teachers. |
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The centre will provide a venue for
teachers to come together in learning circles; or to undertake
action research, curriculum designs and pedagogical innovations.
The centre will also serve as a meeting place for both local and
overseas expertise. |
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The centre will incorporate both the
elements of a heritage gallery to showcase the history of the
teaching profession, and showcase the use of the latest technology
to show the way forward. |
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More..... |
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Source:
www.moe.gov.sg Press Release 4
Sep 2006 |
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Important
Notice |
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FrontPage Edition: Mon 4 September 2006
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