It's getting harder and harder to get into teacjing through Path 1. If you really really confirm you want to do teaching, go for Path 2 for certainty. Path 1 has more flexibility and also if u love the subject.

This route, which I will term Path 3, may not work out for everyone either.

Some are unable to get used to the working style in civil service.

Some are unhappy to end up in a teaching level or to teach certain subjects not of their preference.

In the end they leave for somewhere else again after that.

Smart nephew smart uncle/aunt. ;)

Mid-career. With relevant working exp. Work in fields directly related to what you want to teach. Better yet, work in education-related areas. Then jump to MOE if you really want to be an MOE teacher. It's the best for advancement, if you have no scholarship.

100% agree. If not a scholar, DON'T go in as fresh grad PGDE applicant. You see all those hentak kaki at GEO3 until 8, 9, 10 years of service one. Short end of the stick.

I have to clarify this. Your nephew is probably already good and is deemed by the ministry to have better CEP, that's why the promotion is fast.

Mid-Career or not has nothing to do with faster promotion or higher salary. When you compare it directly to that 'friend'. It can be quite misleading. The 'friend' is probably average or below average in this case.

Mid-career when they come in, are usually equally pegged with current teachers based on highest qualifications and honours. Meaning, MOE looks at the median salary of similar teachers with similar YOE and peg the salary for that mid-career teacher. For example, someone with 6 YOE, and at median salary, will be used as data for MOE to look at someone who is from private sector (6 years) and entering teaching. So let's say at the 10th year, The teacher with 10 YOE, and mid career (4 YOE + 6 priv years), may differ because of the performance etc. But the starting salary that was at 6YOE, would have been similar.

I would say the advantage of mid-career aside from the private sector experience, is that if you have carved something out for yourself in the private sector within that few years, then it will be recognised duly.

But it's also the same for a teacher who goes into teaching directly. Albeit 'harder' to carve something out, it is still possible.

In the end, it will still boil down to performance once entering schools.

Those that are lamenting that they are not progressing fast enough, may also not do well in the private sector. Because it's not because they are limited by their chances. I would say more often than not, it's because of the person themselves just not able to reach the next level (so highly likely they won't do well outside either).

Actually your Y4 to Y6 if you were on partial or full NPL, it will affect your YOE when they decide your advancement and progression. So technically you should count yourself as 11 YOE especially if those 3 years you took the full years.

Nevertheless, you are on track for HOD already because to be covering, means that the school sees that you are a possible replacement and can send you for interviews. Even if it doesn't happen, when you apply for OPE, you can state that you are covering HOD so it also helps you in your next advancement.

i agree with this.. am a mid-career myself (came over from ASTAR), male

i consider myself average performer, maybe slightly above average. i still lose out in pay and advancement to some other more capable male teachers in my school that are in the similar subgrade as me.

4 years in and a bit jaded now.. but in ASTAR it was similar situation also. i guess the more capable ones will just stand out. that's life

I have some friends mid-career try to apply but rejected lol. And its the not bad performer kind. Quite hard to get in now. Even if they willing to take paycut

Safest is still go in directly

You say it like going in directly is so easy.

Acceptance rate is still really low through all possible paths.

Mid career here also.. Agree with this fully cos am in a similar situation described above..

Ya.. My friend tried PGDE but cannot also. NUS maths degree FCH summore.

For me im mid career.. But progress slow.. So it's not true mid career confirm faster than the others.

How do you know if you were not successful at OPE? Will it be reflected on workpal as unsuccessful (current status: processing)?
Been two working days since interview but no news to date.

Easiest route to enter teaching is to get a teaching scholarship.

There seems to be a hiring freeze for STEM subjects, and they are still cutting headcounts. If you teach subjects like English, Mother Tongue, they are always short of teachers, got higher chance to as pgde or mid career.

For those subjects with hiring freeze, the newbies who come in are ALL scholars.
It seems like the number of scholarships cannot be cut (bad PR for parents/voters)
Got more spots for scholars than farmers

perhaps your starting pay is lower.
me - male 13 year in service, GEO5 7.9k
good deal i think because not KP at all

Hi, i am thinking of teaching at Ministry of Education Language Centre.

How is this path? Thanks!

hallo if u really FCH NUS go HQ. they will take you unless u hv very deep issues . minimally CPDD will want you, esp with resources now being done by CPDD. too many half past six teachers can’t do accurate content

SL Rotation
 

Hi all, any idea if SL can reject their posting if they are posted out? And any rule that they have to rotate if they have served for 6 years? Thanks!

Principal posting is decided by the powers above. Sometimes a Principal can be asked to remain beyond 6 years if there is a certain need. But if HR says you post out, then you post out. Leadership renewal policy.

Become PSC scholar fastest

Pls get your own degree outside of NIE if u can. Things haven’t changed much in decades. If you enter MOE with only NIE credentials, it will not be easy at all should you want to venture out of MOE one day when you are tired.

With your own degree from the likes of NUS and NTU, u have something else to show employers

#years EXCLUDE NIE phase / contract teaching phase:

18 yrs, female,NIE grad, SEO1 (HOD), 9.8k
15 yrs, male, PGDE, SEO1 (HOD), 9.4k
16 yrs, female, Dip Ed, emplacement to degree during 8th year, GEO 4, 6k
13 yrs, female, mid-career, GEO5A, 8.5k (increment 5 to 5A was only $200)
12 yrs, male, PGDE, GEO5, 7.4k
11 yrs, male, NIE grad, GEO5 (SH), 7.6k
9 yrs, female, HOD, NUS grad, GEO5, about 7k plus (she said it's below 8k)
8 yrs, male, GEO5, SH, 7.5K
8 yrs, male, NIE grad, GEO 4, 6.1k
8 yrs, male, PGDE local FCH, GEO 3, 6.2k
8 yrs, male, NIE grad, GEO3, 5.9k
6 yrs, male, PGDE Overseas degree, GEO5 6.6k
6 yrs, male, PGDE local degree (HQ officer), GEO5 6.7k
6 yrs, male, PGDE local degree (HQ officer), GEO4 6.3k
6 yrs, female, NIE grad, GEO4 (SH new), 6k
6 yrs, male, NIE grad, GEO4, 6.2k
5 yrs, female, NIE grad, GEO3, 5.1k
5 yrs, female, PGDE, GEO3, 5.1k
4 yrs, female, NIE grad, GEO3, 5.4k
4 yrs, female, mid-career, GEO3, 6.1k
4 yrs, male, NIE grad, GEO4, 5.6k
4 yrs, male, NIE grad, GEO4, 5.3k
3 yrs, male, PGDE, GEO3, 5.4k
3 yrs, male, PGDE, GEO3, 5.7k
1 yr, female, mid-career, GEO3, 5.9k

I had the fastest rejection ever. Just saw a posting on APEX and decided to apply the next day noon with some errors messages along the way, saying not submitted. then saw the application on my dashboard, so thought okay lah went through i guess. about 2hrs later, received an email from [email protected] that I had been rejected. goodness!

Today is a good day
 

Today is a good day. The sun is bright. May the hot weather bless you.

this still means that the application went through i think

hmmm maybe they already accepted someone. or the position is closed or something

application on rolling basis. if someone applies on opening date, they interview and they really want him they hv to offer him immediately in case he accepts somewhere else. position closed.

what position?

I'm curious, some schools open up classrooms in the evenings for lessons for ITE students. Are those teachers from ITE itself? Or just some part time tutors?

Yes, you have a point! Thanks for the advice

years EXCLUDE NIE phase / contract teaching phase:

18 yrs, female,NIE grad, SEO1 (HOD), 9.8k
15 yrs, male, PGDE, SEO1 (HOD), 9.4k
16 yrs, female, Dip Ed, emplacement to degree during 8th year, GEO 4, 6k
13 yrs, female, mid-career, GEO5A, 8.5k (increment 5 to 5A was only $200)
12 yrs, male, PGDE, GEO5, 7.4k
11 yrs, male, NIE grad, GEO5 (SH), 7.6k
9 yrs, female, HOD, NUS grad, GEO5, about 7k plus (she said it's below 8k)
8 yrs, male, GEO5, SH, 7.5K
8 yrs, male, NIE grad, GEO 4, 6.1k
8 yrs, male, PGDE local FCH, GEO 3, 6.2k
8 yrs, male, NIE grad, GEO3, 5.9k
6 yrs, male, PGDE Overseas degree, SEO1 (Int HOD) 7.5k
6 yrs, male, PGDE Overseas degree, GEO5 6.6k
6 yrs, male, PGDE local degree (HQ officer), GEO5 6.7k
6 yrs, male, PGDE local degree (HQ officer), GEO4 6.3k
6 yrs, female, NIE grad, GEO4 (SH new), 6k
6 yrs, male, NIE grad, GEO4, 6.2k
5 yrs, female, NIE grad, GEO3, 5.1k
5 yrs, female, PGDE, GEO3, 5.1k
4 yrs, female, NIE grad, GEO3, 5.4k
4 yrs, female, mid-career, GEO3, 6.1k
4 yrs, male, NIE grad, GEO4, 5.6k
4 yrs, male, NIE grad, GEO4, 5.3k
3 yrs, male, PGDE, GEO3, 5.4k
3 yrs, male, PGDE, GEO3, 5.7k
1 yr, female, mid-career, GEO3, 5.9k

SEO1 in 6 years means 4 promotions sia. And GEO4 to 5, and 5 to SEO1 all takes at least 2 to 3 years liao. Presuming your GEO2 to 3 took 1 year, then your GEO3 to 4 also took 1 year only? A bit impossible leh. Int SH with GEO5 at 6 years is possible, but SEO1.. a bit hard to believe especially now much harder to climb liao. Anyone else want to come verify or call bluff?

I though HOD need to be confirmed before can be SEO1? Int HOD should be GEO5 only right?

The school leaders, especially the Principal, plays an important role to ensure that ranking is fair and confidential. And for the ranking to be fair, it is important that every officer's work contributions and the impact of his/her are considered. The SLs need to know the role and responsibilities of her people, including the Senior Teachers, who are supposed to drive pedagogy instead of meddling with office politics.
In my school, a Senior Teacher went to HOD and gave comments that the teacher colleague took CCL and therefore, there is a need to put in one more person in a particular project. She is always 'busy' downplaying her colleagues who are in the same sub grade as her or has the potential to be ranked higher due to their work contributions.
Sadly, to the SL, it is viewed as an operational needs instead of finding out the work contributions and family situation of this officer. No conversations to find out more. And perhaps later on in ranking, it will become a AFI.
Sadly, the teaching profession has allowed such people to continue to rise up in the ranks, KPs, STs, or even a SL. Many teacher colleagues who can really teach well either had decided to be a FAJT or a private tutor. Being in MOE for more than 15 years, I really feel disgusted by how some Senior Teachers (especially the cross-level ones) carry themselves. Their character and the perspective towards culture building are terribly wrong.

This guy is a fairly well-known PSC scholar teaching in the west. The salary point I can't verify. But the subgrade is real.

It's a HR pipeline constraint. Most scholarships are given before uni. When a hiring freeze is implemented for any curriculum subject, there will still be a steady supply of scholars coming in who got their scholarships 5 years ago, so yes the ratio of scholars:direct hires will be very skewed, and this is observable amongst the NIE cohort.

So the skewed scholar:direct hire ratio doesn't imply that HR is not cutting scholarships; it just means that if HR cuts scholarships you can only see the effects 5 years later.

As I understand it, progression for PSC/Education is 2 years in schools, 2 years in HQ, and then a decision on whether to return to schools (sectoral) or rotate to another ministry (WOG). The officer should enter HQ as a GEO3 and return to schools on enhanced posting as GEO4. Not sure whether it's possible to jump one sub-grade every year thereafter.

As for salary point, it's possible that this officer is drawing a higher salary than peers because PSC scholars are automatically emplaced on PSLP/FLP which has its own allowance. (Not the same as the RA that KPs draw.)

HR will also not cut scholarships lah. This is an absolute and applies for all ministries. It is simply bad PR.

Freezing headcount and cutting recruitment of fresh grads is seen as being prudent, saves taxpayers money.

Cutting scholarships, to the public, is seen as taking away chances for A level students to get overseas education, taking away resources from underprivileged students who worked hard in school.

Regardless of the economy, you still see that the number of PSC scholarships, president scholarship, the elite scholarships are kept more or less constant.
Maybe due to covid travel restrictions, some who are bound for overseas uni couldn't do so, and end up studying in local unis. But the quota wasn't changed.

And no, they are not going to tell the scholars. Hey, we got 'surplus' of STEM teachers. Do not study STEM. You can only study music, humanities and languages.

Not going to happen.

Will an officer's CEP be affected or downgraded if he/she applied and is accepted for OPE elsewhere?

Yes, possible to jump one sub-grade every year. My current HOD return from HQ as GEO4. The following year got promoted to GEO5. And again the following year, got promoted to SEO1. Scholar.

That's why can eat salmon caviar wor