Did you just apply for any random HQ position though? Based on what I've seen for OPE, good HQ positions seem quite uncommon.

What do you mean by good HQ positions? All HQ positions are opportunities.

Ok maybe I should rephrase. Rather than "good", perhaps "suitable" would be a better word.

The reason why I say this: this JC teacher I know wanted to escape the school environment and randomly applied for schools division, pre-school education...didn't fit in but tried to blend in here and there. After some years of enduring HQ life, got posted out and forced down to secondary school (don't think there was a choice for that).

I don't wanna end up like that.

Look for positions that you don’t mind trying. Go in with a positive mind and you’ll be fine. JC teachers will unlikely be posted back to JC because there is an excess of JC teachers. This is a fact. There are so many hundreds of openings every OPE. Surely there will be something that will interest you.

Another school was willing to consider me for HOD but I went for an SH position. Not that it matters anymore heh.

More flexibility to wfh. Treated like an adult in the workplace and don’t have to succumb to nonsensical rules like “still must report for 4 hours to school even if not down for oral invigilation” or “can only leave after 1pm bell even if your last period has ended earlier”. Post-COVID world but back to pre-COVID practices. I’ve worked in ministries and now private sector, and nowhere else but school is the principle of equal misery so apparent.

Good job for finding something you're happy with! Which industry did you transit to? Did you previously have relevant experience or certifications from that industry?

Yup I understand your point. It's just that when I last looked at OPE positions, there actually weren't many "suitable" ones available. I believe that was what happened to the teacher I mentioned (from JC or not doesn't matter) - not much choice so randomly apply just to get into HQ lol, and end up in some unwanted place.

Also heard from middle and higher management that HQ positions are limited and extremely competitive too (at least for the "highly valued" branches). Most positions seem to be reserved for scholars first.

If you are applying to something you are interested in, it’s not randomly applying. What kind of roles are you interested in? There are so many divisions in HQ and you might not even be aware of.

It is true that HQ positions are competitive because if you compare the hundreds of positions to the tens of thousands of teaching positions, how many people can become HQ officers? But it doesn’t mean you can’t if you don’t try. I find my middle managers in schools like to demoralise their teachers by saying such things because they themselves in the first place can’t get a HQ posting and they are only being sour grapes.

What are the “highly valued” divisions? All divisions are important. The so called “highly valued” divisions might not even be the most suitable place for you.

You need to see what you are interested in? Technology (ETD), Curriculum (CPDD), Curriculum Policy (CPO), Special Needs (SpeD), CCE, teacher training (AST), communications (Corporate Communications), higher Ed?

There are so many divisions. And I must say every division take in OPE (not just scholars) and if you prove yourself, you will get your enhanced posting.

Average looking JC teacher salary progression, what would it look like?

Years 1 to 5, starting, yearly increment, bonus, etc.

Was informed recently that I was selected for FHQ. Am interested in a policy wing position asi would like a system view of where we are/where we are headed. But some seniors have warned me to reconsider as they said that compared to. Professional wing, policy wing officers are more out of touch with the ground and would affect my chances for enhanced posting back as a HOD. Currently, I'm an SH now. Is that assumption groundless if I continue to keep myself abreast of the latest developments in schools

Wah, I might know this person too...

A policy wing stint with good performance during the stint will enable you to get a higher CEP as compared to a prof wing stint. As you have rightly pointed out, chances of you posting out as a HOD may not be as good with a policy wing stint. However, the higher CEP will be more beneficial in the long run. This means that you may still post out as an SH, but your chances of being selected for CDD would be higher. Short term pain, long term gain. Your choice.

Definitely not true. Policy wing ppl normally are the so called “scholars” division. So many of the people there get posted out as KP. Also, if you are SH, you will definitely still go out as KP regardless enhanced posting or not.

Transit to data analytics, which any maths/science teacher should have the background to pick up some programming if they want to. Certifications is a must as a baseline to show your interest or at least have some project to display your skills. Not so easy take one skillsfuture course then can transit already. I prepared myself for at least two years during the covid period. Opportunity came and I went.

Can look beyond HQ also. Secondment to other organisations or ministries can be a good learning experience also.

Nowadays it's better to have a diverse portfolio.

A lot of school leaders don’t recognise or appreciate policy experience.. better to go to schools div to get school-based experience.

Sounds good! Did they consider your prior teaching experience to be relevant? Was the pay raise significant? :)

Nope the application window for 2023 is not opened yet, i thought for degree holders, i am allowed to apply for secondary school and JC?

The reality is nobody asked my about my teaching experience at all during interviews. At most, it was “I was a teacher for XX years”. Base pay quite significant but then don’t forget private sector don’t have mid year or end year bonus. So I think annual package maybe just slightly more. But worth it for the freedom I get. Can even give tuition and no circular to say I must tell anybody. The value proposition of teaching in school has sadly dropped a lot more post-covid.

Hi anywhere in hq can jlb?

unless u transiting to some hot field/job, else if no pay cut then very good liao; MOE pays teachers pretty well...

s://dollarsandsense.sg/salary-guide-much-can-earn-moe-teacher/#:~:text=MOE%20CONNECT%20Plan%20Deposits%20and%20P ayouts

s://dollarsandsense.sg/salary-guide-much-can-earn-moe-teacher/#:~:text=MOE%20CONNECT%20Plan%20Deposits%20and%20P ayouts

Maybe in the past, when NIE fresh grad salary among top 10 starting salaries for fresh uni grads.

These days, other professions have overtaken by leaps and bounds. Really not hard to find jobs which pay equal or better (provided that you know how to market yourself).

Hi is it possible to select your last day of service, or is it subject to approval?

Ie 31 Dec vs 2nd Jan loll

They don't. But the irony is that to rise beyond school leadership, policy experience > school experience. So pick your poison.

Wait long long.

School div is not school experience. It involves policy work too.

Tender one month notice, with effect from 31st or 2nd of the month

Just promoted to SEO1, 35 this year

Congrats. Din know they have promotion in end November.

A stint in policy wing coupled with good performance there will likely give you a better CEP than one at professional wing.

As you have rightly pointed out, you could still be posting out of HQ as an SH because SLs don't really value policy wing experience. However, with a higher CEP, it is more likely that you'll progress faster thereafter.

Short term pain, long term gain. Your choice.

You're probably right, and that's exactly why many more people are leaving. Increments are too insignificant. Those staying behind seem to be either KPs or dinosaur GEO5s.

Even know of an SEO2 HOD who resigned immediately upon landing a job elsewhere.

I heard school promotion board cannot raise offocers' CEP beyond P6. If one wants cep to be raised then one needs to go HQ. is that true? Heard from.some that officers go through HQ would have thei cep raised
Is that true?

The school panel has limited powers, however, it doesn't mean that the Principal cannot access other mechanisms (beyond the school) to recommend adjustments of CEP for the most deserving officers.

1 Apr bro…

The logic is very simple. How can P assess whether you are suitable to have a CEP higher than P when he himself never do a job higher than a P before?

But that's not true though. If you looked at the last principal movements we have some Div Directors move to schools as Principals. They are more than equipped to know whether someone is able of moving beyond a P.

Yup. There are Superscale H Principals, and there are also Superscale E/F Principals. School leadership spans a wide range of experience levels and capabilities, and certainly some of them have even more experience than their own cluster supts :) and back to the topic, yes while they cannot directly change a teacher's CEP to a super high level, they have access to levers that could make it possible as long as they can convince senior management to approve.

Yes there are, but it’s not the norm, so the rest may not be able to make that assessment. More importantly, it’s quite unlikely that a teacher’s CEP can be raised from P to Cluster Supt on the basis on performance in school.