Because the toxic work culture in
MOE is built upon a warped appraisal system.
If you ask officers from other ministries, their appraisal is mainly based on their core work. For example, economists mainly spend their time on analyzing economic trends, engineers mainly focus on technical operations, policy planners focusing on planning work. Maybe contribute a bit in committee work, like organising annual staff dinner or departmental outings.
Otherwise got professional officers to handle corporate roles.
Meanwhile school officers wear too many additional hats, to the point that emphasis in teaching is outshone.
Epms becomes a list of what additional stuff an officer has done.
Double hatting as:
procurement officers (handles sourcing, AORS, quotes, raising gebiz, evaluate tenders, awarding tenders)
Coach (certain sports and clubs, the teachers are the main instructors)
Counsellor to student (teacher counsellor)
Counsellor to colleagues (wellness ambassador)
Communications (need to produce school publications, manage school websites, handle school social media accounts)
Researchers (need to plan and conduct education research)
AV support (need to do AV duties for small events such as school meetings, to large events such as school celebrations)
Tech support (administrator to perform reset of various student accounts)
Secondment (arrowed to do seab exam duty, eld election duty)
First aider (expected to deliver first aid in event of emergency)
No such nonsense in other govt roles.
Manpower is sufficient if teachers are expected to focus mainly on teaching and appraised accordingly.
Manpower will always be insufficient if teachers are piled on more and more non-core work, work that makes the school and SLs look good, at the expense of officers' health and family time.