Thanks for the insight. I'm a current HOD in a primary school, and cannot agree more with what has been mentioned here. I know of outstanding HODs who remain as HODs and never got the chance to attend Vp Interview. Out of my cohort of
NIE mates, only one of us is a current Vp appointed at 36 years old. And you guessed it right - he is an overseas scholar. I know of another who from a position of secondary school HOD was appointed as a JC Vice-Principal - also a scholar on the FLP programme. Just look at the linked-in profiles of many P and Vp - almost 80% are scholars.
This is my 13th year in service and at age 39, I know that I have reached the highest appointment I can possibly hold due to my non-scholar status. Truth be told, I have learnt to slow down and take things easy, do a honest day's work, don't short change the students and don't mess up. As HOD, admin work never ends. Much time is spent and wasted at management meetings, energies spent dealing with over anxious parents , weeknights and weekends on marking, ranking and appraisal, exam setting and a host of other duties. After some time, the 'passion' inevitably will fizzle out.
And for the GEO officers who are thinking that the renumeration of a SEO1 officer is good - let me share that on my year of being bumped into seo1 from GEO5, the jump was not more than $250 (excluding the typical merit increment). Although we do not come into the service for purely monetary gains, I would anticipate that
MOE would accord better recognition for a milestone promotion such as this.
Fortunately, I have been thrifty in my years of working, and am considering leaving the service in a few years time to take on part time teaching/tutoring for a more well-balanced work life harmony.