Career as Teacher

Originally Posted by Unregistered

It is precisely because everyone has the mental frame and attitude of a scholar that the competition to stand out from one's peers is so cut-throat. Everyone works extremely hard. The first one to show weakness will lag behind their peers.

In an ideal situation, everyone who is tired and overworked (actually, just everyone) says something about the workload, and this leads to systemic change. Unfortunately you can't avoid market spoilers who are willing to make crushing sacrifices for career advancement, and if the rest of the pack want to keep up, they have to show that they can keep up.

the systemic change just seems to be a vicious cycle that worsens every year...

cut headcount, increase workload - rinse and repeat

Originally Posted by Unregistered

When everyone in the intake is a scholar, the one who falls behind the rest, will get less priority for opportunities.

Demand and supply applies here. When many people are fighting for the limited quotas, any sort of mistake is a good reason for decision makers to exclude them from the competition.

Don't give others a good reason to eliminate you from the race.

Not fear mongering. Just common sense.

Think of how teachers choose the head prefects or student council chairperson.

The process is not so different after all

Then don't join the race? Like what exactly do you want? It seems like you all want to do less work and yet rise in the system.

In my school student council chairperson is the person who's shown leadership qualities and inspired their fellow students, not the ones who are the loudest about the work that they do. Maybe, these kids hold a valuable lesson you can learn.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

It is precisely because everyone has the mental frame and attitude of a scholar that the competition to stand out from one's peers is so cut-throat. Everyone works extremely hard. The first one to show weakness will lag behind their peers.

In an ideal situation, everyone who is tired and overworked (actually, just everyone) says something about the workload, and this leads to systemic change. Unfortunately you can't avoid market spoilers who are willing to make crushing sacrifices for career advancement, and if the rest of the pack want to keep up, they have to show that they can keep up.

Exactly.

Situation now is that the system is full of market spoilers.

Either because the all-scholar batches are inherently competitive high achievers

And also because cost of living is so high, that non-scholars also need to chase for promotions to get pay raises that match the increase in cost of living

Competition is so cutthroat that the system has turned toxic, where everyone is compelled to provide free labour, to the benefit of the highest management, who can proudly declare that they manage to increase/maintain output while cutting headcounts and expenses.

Gone are the days when ordinary teachers just need to focus on teaching, working regular school hours to get a satisfactory C grade. Those aspiring to get Bs and As just need to sacrifice a little more time on co-curricular stuff to 'go the extra mile'

Today, teachers are expected to break labour laws, working excessive hours beyond the legal 44h work week, just to get a C grade.

And for scholars who have been the cream of the crop their whole life, getting As their whole life, anything less than A is an insult to them.

The old system of appraisal is not working anymore.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Then don't join the race? Like what exactly do you want? It seems like you all want to do less work and yet rise in the system.

In my school student council chairperson is the person who's shown leadership qualities and inspired their fellow students, not the ones who are the loudest about the work that they do. Maybe, these kids hold a valuable lesson you can learn.

Reasonable career progression, but without normalising chronic excessive overwork and excessive sacrifices of other things in life besides work.

Not expecting to fly like EMS or PSC scholars, but also not expecting to be stuck at GEO3, an entry level grade, for 8 years, just because you aren't doing twice or thrice the job that you're paid to do.

Giving 110% or 120% is fine, but glorifying and rewarding people who juggle more side projects than they have fingers and burning weekend after weekend is hurting the system and the culture.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Then don't join the race? Like what exactly do you want? It seems like you all want to do less work and yet rise in the system.

In my school student council chairperson is the person who's shown leadership qualities and inspired their fellow students, not the ones who are the loudest about the work that they do. Maybe, these kids hold a valuable lesson you can learn.

First, please list out what you mean by 'do less work'. What is your definition of 'satisfactory' performance, aka C grade.

While civil servants are excluded from the employment act, but MOM's definition of a 44h work week still serves as a useful guideline for all workers.

Also according to MOM laws, no one should be working over 12h a day, or do over 72h of overtime each month (roughly 18h of overtime a week)

No one should be expected to work for free. Or, do be expected to do unpaid OT on a permanent basis.

For any law-abiding employer, 'satisfactory' work performance is assessed based on reasonable amount of workload that an ordinary human being can complete during their working hours.

Can sticking to 44h work week get an ordinary teacher a C grade?

Can working beyond 44h/week guarantee a C+ or better grade?

If yes, I rest my case.

If no, it means that something is seriously wrong with the system.

Everyone should have at least 25-30h of contact time (lessons, FT, CCA, CCE etc)
Assuming a typical load of 5 classes * 40 students, and minimally 1 piece of homework to be marked each week, and assuming consistent superhuman efficiency of 5min/piece of homework, it would still take more than 16h to to complete marking for each week. Just teaching and marking is enough to exceed the 44h work week.

Haven't factor in staff meeting, subject/level meetings, CCAs, lesson prep, committee work, paper setting, and other duties.

Can say no to all these?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

First, please list out what you mean by 'do less work'. What is your definition of 'satisfactory' performance, aka C grade.

While civil servants are excluded from the employment act, but MOM's definition of a 44h work week still serves as a useful guideline for all workers.

Also according to MOM laws, no one should be working over 12h a day, or do over 72h of overtime each month (roughly 18h of overtime a week)

No one should be expected to work for free. Or, do be expected to do unpaid OT on a permanent basis.

For any law-abiding employer, 'satisfactory' work performance is assessed based on reasonable amount of workload that an ordinary human being can complete during their working hours.

Can sticking to 44h work week get an ordinary teacher a C grade?

Can working beyond 44h/week guarantee a C+ or better grade?

If yes, I rest my case.

If no, it means that something is seriously wrong with the system.

Everyone should have at least 25-30h of contact time (lessons, FT, CCA, CCE etc)
Assuming a typical load of 5 classes * 40 students, and minimally 1 piece of homework to be marked each week, and assuming consistent superhuman efficiency of 5min/piece of homework, it would still take more than 16h to to complete marking for each week. Just teaching and marking is enough to exceed the 44h work week.

Haven't factor in staff meeting, subject/level meetings, CCAs, lesson prep, committee work, paper setting, and other duties.

Can say no to all these?

Can. Say no and tender now.
So many other jobs around, can try to find something else.

just got my fhq offer, quite surprised, does my P and RO know?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

just got my fhq offer, quite surprised, does my P and RO know?

u think they dont know is it

Originally Posted by Unregistered

just got my fhq offer, quite surprised, does my P and RO know?

HR will engage your principal to discuss this before issuing you the offer. Hi-Po officer but still so blur ah? Real or not.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Reasonable career progression, but without normalising chronic excessive overwork and excessive sacrifices of other things in life besides work.

Not expecting to fly like EMS or PSC scholars, but also not expecting to be stuck at GEO3, an entry level grade, for 8 years, just because you aren't doing twice or thrice the job that you're paid to do.

Giving 110% or 120% is fine, but glorifying and rewarding people who juggle more side projects than they have fingers and burning weekend after weekend is hurting the system and the culture.

GEO3 after 8 years? Look after we moved away from a time in service to a performance based system, people really need to stop thinking that they're entitled to a promotion just for being a warm body. In a career spanning 30+ years, if you're keen on just floating by and doing the bare minimum you must be prepared that your two promotions to Geo4 and 5 will take a longer time over those 30 years
Have a look at that table where you see that there are people who are GEO4 and even 5 after 8 years. Why do you think you deserve to get promoted over those who worked hard to get where they are, while you just want to coast. Why do YOU deserve that promotion over them?