Good economic year, teachers/civil servants get extra year end bonus as civil servants last year none (not sure the correct term for the bonus though) but estimated based on this year's growth should be similar to 2008 (extra 1 month)

Subject heads are not good estimates for salary drawn. Number of years in service is better gauge as there are yearly increments to your pay the more years you serve (until you hit the salary cap that is). I know of teachers in their late 30s drawing close to $7k+ but not subject heads as their first job is teaching.

Frankly, teachers don't stay long enough to reap the benefits of the salary increase. more than 50% of my NIE class have left service and more on the way (to add to that I just graduated from NIE 4 years ago!). Most leave once the bond is up as it sucked them dry. Word of warning to those thinking of joining; join for the love of teaching not money if not the three years of bond is worse than living through hell (ask any ex-teacher).

MOE has to raise the salary a bit to retain experienced teachers with some passion left to teach as good teachers earn more outside as freelance or tuition teachers with the flexibility of a better work life balance. Good tutors can earn double the $6k per month a regular teacher earns easy with enough reputation as a result getter for the kids.

Sorry for the long post. Just finished meeting for an event now waiting for the next meeting on curriculum to start at 4.15 pm so phasing out and doing a mental vomit here. That being said, teaching is truly a job that you can really enjoy if you are into it and willing to suffer the little (well sometimes big) irks along the way.