Career as Teacher

Degree/PGDE/DipEd
#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
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
6 yrs, female, Dip Ed, GEO3, 3.9k (no more emplacement)
5 yrs male, NIE grad, GEO4, 5.5k (int SH)
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, 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

Mid-Careers
Will be helpful to indicate the following
#years in private, #years in MOE:

4 yrs private, 15 yrs MOE, mid-career, GEO5, 7.99K
13 yrs, female, mid-career, GEO5A, 8.5k (increment 5 to 5A was only $200)
4 yrs, female, mid-career, GEO3, 6.1k
1 yr, female, mid-career, GEO3, 5.9k
4 yr, female, mid-career, GEO4, 5.5k

Originally Posted by Unregistered

That cap is achievable within 12-15 years. Not too far off from the 10 years that you highlighted though. So for a sinkie male, that would put you at around 35-40 years old. Not good enough ahh. To hit 8k+ by the time you're 40.

It is reachable for those who promote very quickly.

Good luck hitting that geo5 cap if you hentak kaki at geo3 geo4 very long at ceiling without any pay raises for years.

And usually those who promote faster, are those KPs who are taking on appointments above their paygrades.

If just regular teacher with the standard C grade every year, maybe only reach geo5 in late 40s.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

It is reachable for those who promote very quickly.

Good luck hitting that geo5 cap if you hentak kaki at geo3 geo4 very long at ceiling without any pay raises for years.

And usually those who promote faster, are those KPs who are taking on appointments above their paygrades.

If just regular teacher with the standard C grade every year, maybe only reach geo5 in late 40s.

That's the point. If you're just average, why would you expect to zoom up the salary scale at the same rate as better performers. People here like to keep banging on about private sector and all that. Just remind yourself what happens to average/below average ppl when they hit their 40s on pte sector k.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

That's the point. If you're just average, why would you expect to zoom up the salary scale at the same rate as better performers. People here like to keep banging on about private sector and all that. Just remind yourself what happens to average/below average ppl when they hit their 40s on pte sector k.

Hi, not the original poster.

I think what was irritating about one of the previous post is that there are people who THINK that ANY teacher can zoom up the salary scale and hit GEO5 ceiling by 35-40 when real teachers know that this is hardly possible, unless like you said - high performer, which I am sure most real teachers are definitely aware of.

It's just freaking annoying to keep educating clueless members of the public that teachers have just median pay when benchmarked against the rest of society while they (sometimes even current boomer teachers/KPs/SLs) think that teachers are overpaid and underworked.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hi, not the original poster.

I think what was irritating about one of the previous post is that there are people who THINK that ANY teacher can zoom up the salary scale and hit GEO5 ceiling by 35-40 when real teachers know that this is hardly possible, unless like you said - high performer, which I am sure most real teachers are definitely aware of.

It's just freaking annoying to keep educating clueless members of the public that teachers have just median pay when benchmarked against the rest of society while they (sometimes even current boomer teachers/KPs/SLs) think that teachers are overpaid and underworked.

What is most irritating is people think ALL teachers are paid 8250 x 16 months every year wow overpaid AF.

Fact is most of the innovation, efficient work, unrecorded OT, side projects and management-KPI-padding slogging is being done by teachers stuck on lower grades drawing 5k to 6k.

16 months is not a guarantee as well, any civil servant knows that. Coupled with the fact that the GEO timescales receive derisory PB quanta for equivalent perf grades.

Do you think the CEP is P8 (retire at GEO 5) all the way, or do you think at some point of time it was raised to say P7 but then dropped back to P8?

2012 - GEO1.1 C+
2013 - GEO1A1 C
2014 - GEO1A1 B
2015 - GEO1A1 C+
2016 to 2021- GEO4 C(x 6yrs)
2022 - GEO4 C+

Have had small leadership roles like overseas trip team lead, ICT mentor and subject level rep, etc..

What are the chances of securing a HQ role?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hi, not the original poster.

I think what was irritating about one of the previous post is that there are people who THINK that ANY teacher can zoom up the salary scale and hit GEO5 ceiling by 35-40 when real teachers know that this is hardly possible, unless like you said - high performer, which I am sure most real teachers are definitely aware of.

It's just freaking annoying to keep educating clueless members of the public that teachers have just median pay when benchmarked against the rest of society while they (sometimes even current boomer teachers/KPs/SLs) think that teachers are overpaid and underworked.

What's wrong with median pay? Teachers are part of the civil service hence by definition teachers salaries are largely similar with other civil servants with the same education profile. Anyway, please note that teachers have above median pay.

Also what's with the rubbish that the rest of society thinks that teachers are overpaid and underworked. It's literally the other way around! People think that teachers are underpaid and are pretty surprised once they hear about teacher salaries. What's with the victim mentality.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

What is most irritating is people think ALL teachers are paid 8250 x 16 months every year wow overpaid AF.

Fact is most of the innovation, efficient work, unrecorded OT, side projects and management-KPI-padding slogging is being done by teachers stuck on lower grades drawing 5k to 6k.

16 months is not a guarantee as well, any civil servant knows that. Coupled with the fact that the GEO timescales receive derisory PB quanta for equivalent perf grades.

That's just not true. I see emails and work flying around during weekends from people in the SEO grades. When you're not included in these, it's very easy to think that they're doing nothing.

You also need to understand that leaders plan and the team members execute. A good team leader must know how to balance being down in the trenches and providing guidance. If you ever become a leader maybe u will realise it one day.

There are separate issues being raised here.

There is this question on why teachers need to be so 'money-minded' to chase for promotion. The public got this misconception that teachers are highly paid from the get-go and remain better paid than their peers throughout their career.

So, because of low salaries and low salary ceiling for lower paygrades, teachers need to chiong to promote. Simply doing average work will get a teacher stuck in geo3/4.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

That's just not true. I see emails and work flying around during weekends from people in the SEO grades. When you're not included in these, it's very easy to think that they're doing nothing.

You also need to understand that leaders plan and the team members execute. A good team leader must know how to balance being down in the trenches and providing guidance. If you ever become a leader maybe u will realise it one day.

Hahahahaha. Emails flying around during weekends... yes, very hardworking. But doing this too much (when there are no real emergencies) just reflects poor foresight, poor planning and poor resource management on the part of the leaders. Sometimes the SLs push without giving enough time and resources. Sometimes it's the KPs themselves who can't juggle all their marbles.