About there.. you might get it a bit faster if you're outstanding or lucky.. guys usually get theirs after the 1st year as their 2 years NS is taken into account..

Thank you! Hmmm what is considered "outstanding" ? And will a normal scholarship holder (say... TS (local) or TA) be promoted faster and have a higher salary compared to non-scholars?

Outstanding means you manage to demonstrate excellent classroom management while being able to deliver the content to your students, while at the same being able to reach new achievements in your CCAs or department work.. Even then, may not be good enough as it's ultimately up to your RO..

I wouldn't say TA get promoted faster.. TS (local) probably, although its usually the TS (Overseas) that you will see getting groomed for higher positions.. Doesn't mean you can't go up fast if you're a non-scholar though.. I've seen teachers who really excelled, and with just a pass degree, yet got promoted to GEO 1A3 and a HOD position in about 5 years..

That is one rare occurrence since it's difficult to be promoted to 1A3 (I've heard). Is that teacher a male or female teacher?

Male teacher.. From what I see it very much depends on your school and its leaders.. If they are supportive then things can move for you.

Anyway, they seem to be promoting the teachers much faster nowadays.. Maybe partly due to retain them. More are getting their 1A3 quite fast with more positions being created for them also.

On the contrary, I've heard of cases where a teacher is stuck at 1A1 for the past 7 years. :O :O

The most important factors that determine how fast one is promoted is the potential he/she has demonstrated. This is linked to his/her work performance as well as analytical skills, people skills, ability to see the big pictures, drive etc. There is a general perception that scholars get promoted faster due to two reasons: one, the scholars are given the scholarships because they have demonstrated the above qualities in the scholarship interviews in the first place. Hence, assuming that the selection process is accurate, the scholars should naturally be promoted faster. Second, it is mandatory that the overseas scholars go through some attachments in MOE during their undergraduate vacations. This gives them a better understanding of how MOE works and hence a head start in their career. So, my point is: there is no such thing as scholars are automatically promoted faster regardless of their performance (though I admit that some school leaders and HODs have a tendency to blindly rank scholars higher). I personally know of overseas scholars who were ranked very low (nearly a D) in his beginning years as a teacher because he was so detached from the real world that he couldn't carry out his work effectively.

What is the salary range of 1A3?

Not true. If you have an honours, you'll most likely get promoted in your 2nd year (or slightly earlier) if you are a female. Of course, you must get at least a C.

Haha, my poo friend is one of them.