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Recognition and Opportunities
9. MOE is committed to ensuring that
total compensation for Education Officers remains competitive. Based
on the salary study undertaken by its consultants, this is indeed so
for most teachers. MOE will however be making improvements in three
areas:-
a)
Strengthening retention benefits.
The annual CONNECT Plan contribution that MOE puts into an officer's
account will increase by about 30% within the first 15 years of
service and by about 20% thereafter. The aim of the CONNECT Plan
is to encourage CONtiNuity, Experience and Commitment
in Teaching. A
teacher with 15 years of service can expect a total CONNECT Plan
payout of $56,600 to $78,400 under the revised terms, up from the
current $43,600 to $60,500. A teacher who has 40 years of service
would receive a total payout of $120,000 to $160,000, up from
$90,000 to $120,000. The revised CONNECT benefits will take effect
in 2007.
b)
Starting salaries.
MOE is increasing the starting salaries of Pass/ Pass (Merit) Degree
and Diploma recruits by 1 increment (which is equivalent to an
increase of 5-8%) with effect from 1 Sep 06. The current starting
salaries of trainee teachers holding other qualifications remain
competitive.
c)
Mid-career entrants.
MOE recognises that mid-career entrants make valuable contributions
to the Education Service. We will be reviewing their pay so that
those who do well are given due recognition and are not
disadvantaged relative to other teachers.
10. There will also be more career options and
advancement opportunities for teachers, along both the teaching and
leadership tracks:-
a) A
classroom teacher can now look forward to an additional promotion
during his or her teaching career with the creation of a new
promotional grade for General Education Officers (GEO)
(GEO2A3/GEO1A3).
b) The role of Senior Teachers (STs),
whose traditional focus has been in pedagogy and mentoring, will now
be broadened. Schools can appoint STs in more varied areas of
expertise ,
such as school-based curriculum
design, testing & assessment, staff development, counseling.
c) A new apex position, Master
Teacher Level 2, for promising teachers will be created. The Master
Teacher 2, whose job level is equivalent to that of a
Vice-Principal, will operate at the zonal or national levels.
d) A majority of Heads of Department
(HODs) can currently be promoted to the first Senior Education
Officer (SEO) grade. To enhance the promotional prospects for HODs,
outstanding HODs can look forward to a promotion to
the next higher SEO grade
More Flexible Work Arrangements and Support for
Teachers
11. The
Part-Time Teaching Scheme (PTTS) was introduced in Year 2000 to
allow for more flexible work arrangements and is currently open to
serving female teachers with children under 6 years of age, as well
as teachers aged 55 years or above. In support of the Government¨s
pro-family policies, both female and male married officers with
children under 12 years of age will now be eligible for the PTTS.
12. MOE will encourage schools with
good practices in promoting work-life harmony to share them among
all schools.
13. MOE will also press on with our
efforts to create more time and space for teachers to reflect and
inject quality into their lessons, through recruiting and deploying
an additional 3,000 quality teachers into schools by 2010. The
creation of several new positions, including the new School Staff
Developer, will supplement our efforts to boost the size of the
teaching workforce to 30,000 by 2010. MOE will set out to recruit.
An update of the progress of these initiatives is provided below:-
Background
14. Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Minister for
Education, announced at the Senior Education Officer Promotion
Ceremony on 13 April this year that MOE would be conducting a review
of the teachers¨ career and professional development, reward and
recognition structures. This review represents the government¨s firm
commitment to ensuring that the teaching service remains attractive
and fulfilling.
Source:
www.moe.gov.sg Press Release 4
Sep 2006
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MOE unveils S$250m plan to boost
teaching profession
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