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http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/05/16/are-singapore-teachers-overworked/comment-page-60/#comments
WhyMOEhasinplaceabadworkingconditioninSIngaporeSchools
on May 26, 2010 at 10:31 am
You need time to reflect and improve. Where do you get that
time? With 40% of the teaching force having less than 4 years
experience and at the same time are overtaxed with CCAs, meetings,
departmental duties, events planning, CIP, sports day,
competitions, committee meetings, collection of edusaves,
administrative work, answering emails, disciplining pupils, other
ad-hoc assignments and many more, where in the 24 hours slot do we
have the energy to reflect and improve? We need to rest first.
Energy is a given each day. This is exactly what we want to do: to
have time to plan for lessons and reflect. This is not the case in
MOE. MOE assigns HODs to do the supposed thinking on our part. Die
die must do 5 essays and 5 comprehension per semester. It’s stupid.
But if I tell to my HODs and P that they’re stupid, they will get
offended and retaliate.
Here’s the trouble with PAP’s MOE. They think they’re moving
ahead with all these wannabe policies that eventually the soldier
teachers have to struggle with. It is precisely this thinking of
“of course there will be “noises” with all this new initiatives’
the teachers do not want to change…they’ll adapt soon…”
The crux of the matter is EPMS dilutes teacher’s passion by
misaligning intentions. MOE has a poor working conditions in
schools. All that best practics from overseas fell on frigging deaf
ears. I have to teach during lunch to boot.
P and HODs are abusing the EPMS by setting up initiatives where
they eventually target teachers to carry out this initiatives. P
suggest. HOD nods and searches for target. Teacher does the work.
What kind of unthinking system is this?
All MOE knows is bonding these teachers. World-class, my ass!
Now, MOE has gotten teachers to be bonded for doing the PDCM
Masters programme. It’s four-year bond but they’ll tell you it’s
one year. Wait! To do the masters means that you have to be in MOE
for 3 years. That one year bond after MOE is actually a 4 year bond
IN ACTION. How conniving this ministry is. No medical benefits for
teachers. No pension. And then they entice newcomers with lies of
touching and moulding the future. Is this a ministry or a corporate
company?
It seems to many teachers that MOE trains teacher only to
overwork them. All these people are blind to the ground. I have
mentioned some time back that MOE needs to conduct anonymous
surveys where teachers post the surveys back for free. MOE should
attach envelope with “this postage is paid if posted in
Singapore.”
Of course, anonymity is important. This is Singapore. No one
trusts the PAP.