Career as Teacher

Originally Posted by Unregistered

NPL is usually given when there are other underlying reasons. Burnt out unfortunately is not really one of them.
That's why you see officers resigning after their bonds as they are burnt out.

They resign after their bonds because they did not want to pay the bondage fees.

They were likely to be fed up rather than burnt-out.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

totally agreed with this sentiment from a previous post: "Name me a HOD that gets to where they are by being JUST competent."
after all, the staff room in the school is just another workplace. Or else, you could have scored better in your A-level at 18 years old to score a government scholarship to hasten the process of securing a leadership / management position.

It is easier to name the VP who had an affair with a student's mother.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

It is easier to name the VP who had an affair with a student's mother.

Like what was mentioned all over the news, that guy spent most of his career in SAF first before switching to MOE - not exactly a relevant human being to use to attack educators in general

Originally Posted by Unregistered

They resign after their bonds because they did not want to pay the bondage fees.

They were likely to be fed up rather than burnt-out.

Its a rite of passage. i recall being fed up because a different set of standards applies to junior teachers. Experienced and senior teachers can get away of saying and doing all sorts of things but the moment a junior teacher says it, they get flagged and questioned about their ethos/teaching practices.

Is MOE quietly retrenching teachers?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Is MOE quietly retrenching teachers?

reducing headcount yes.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

reducing headcount yes.

Headcount numbers quite open! They release it yearly.
s://.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=s://.mof.gov.sg/docs/librariesprovider3/budget2024/download/pdf/27-moe-2024.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwi_18Oq_smJAxWGT2wGHcYTEz4QFnoE CBIQBg&usg=AOvVaw0yg8cwZ1LzbXrgdE7sGuSC

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hi all, I am due to receive my 4 year CONNECT end of this year. A few questions:

- When will the CONNECT amount be disbursed into my bank?
- Anyone tried taking no-pay leave with burnout as a reason before? Is it generally accepted and do I have to sign any contract saying I need to serve another X months after coming back etc?

Would like to take half a year off next year from June hols onwards to really recharge as I have been severely burnt out due to the increased load in the past 2 years. I'm not sure what are the general reasons people take NPL, but I'm really hoping to be able to take an extend break before continuing. If not, I might consider leaving the force as I think it's really unsustainble for my mental health. I genuinely still do love teaching and hope that I can continue after taking a long break. Has anyone tried this before and what are your results?

Congratulations on getting your connect payout! You could check the previous years' deposit statements to gauge when they'll disburse the amount.

For burn-out, with nothing else to lose except my heart and my health (was also contemplating resignation), I sought a doctor's memo after a few rounds of negotiation with the SLs. Perhaps you could consider a reduced workload, if that's the main cause of your distress? SLs can be quite understanding if you share more details with them. Plus, nowadays HR offers quite a few options to cater to staff at various milestones in their lives. Alternatively, look for vacancies elsewhere, if the burnout is a combination of various factors.

For the memo, I was upfront with the doctor, because I wanted it to be on record. I like to believe that one day, if enough people reports it, measures would be put in place to reduce the occurrence of burnouts in any fields.

Regardless your decision, as long as you're at peace with it, it can't go too wrong (and no, I didn't have to sign any contract. It was more to notify HR).

Also take heart that while the first 4 years can be tough, things usually do get better. Experience, mindset, learning to let go... They all play a part! Wishing you all the best!

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Headcount numbers quite open! They release it yearly.
s://.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=s://.mof.gov.sg/docs/librariesprovider3/budget2024/download/pdf/27-moe-2024.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwi_18Oq_smJAxWGT2wGHcYTEz4QFnoE CBIQBg&usg=AOvVaw0yg8cwZ1LzbXrgdE7sGuSC

From mof public data, the education officers (2008) has reduced from 32k in 2022 to less than 31k in 2024.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

to be fair, many young officers went on this route...end up getting burnt out and resigned

otherwise, they tried voicing out...end up got blacklisted and resigned

if it is workplace bullying, can a teacher sue the school leader?