Career as Teacher

Bad time to join teaching.

They are cutting headcount by around 400 each year.

Cutting 400 EOs is the equivalent of closing 4 schools annually.

Career progression is slowly than ever, and workload will just keep increasing.

People who left are not replaced, and those lowest on the pecking order will take over the duties of those who left with no end in sight.

Join CS is much better. Working hours will probably be as long, but the pay will be 2-3 times higher. Further can keep your personal life, don't have to continue maintain image outside of school.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

SH since semester 2 of 2019. Geo 5 since 2019, with past two PB at B. Will promotion to SEO1 come soon?

The norm now seems to be that you need to be an internal HOD for a year, before promotion in paygrade

Originally Posted by Unregistered

SH since semester 2 of 2019. Geo 5 since 2019, with past two PB at B. Will promotion to SEO1 come soon?

If you can get 1 more B, pretty much will secure the promotion

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I don’t think TSP is the best advice. If you’re planning to take any kind of teaching scholarship with a bond, go for PSC, followed by EMS and TSO, and failing which then TSP. Civil service is hierarchical and anything below PSC there is a glass ceiling. If you’ve done well academically, then why limit yourself when that’s precisely what civil service rewards. It also gives you an “out” if school life is not for you - postings to MOE HQ or secondments (though secondments now more open to everybody). Just cause you thrived as a student in a neighbourhood school doesn’t mean you can adapt to teaching in one. It will only happen if you can truly connect with the students, and most often it’s not via academics. On scholarship, only go for a lower tier option if they don’t accept you for the higher tier.

But my advice still stands. Go CS. Next time can still midcareer switch to teaching if the pull is really that strong. The other direction is not impossible - I’ve done it, but it takes a lot more effort.

Think you've confused TSP with TSL: they are not the same thing. You could be an EMS and be in the TSP. The TSP is an academic programme, not a scholarship.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

SH since semester 2 of 2019. Geo 5 since 2019, with past two PB at B. Will promotion to SEO1 come soon?

The max subgrade for an SH role is at SEO1.
This means that by the time you retire, the max you can go is SEO 1 level.
Unless you get appointed as a HOD, the jump from GEO 5 to SEO 1 may be quite slow because you are expected to end your career at SEO 1.

Some SHs I know are stuck at GEO 5 for more than 10 years before reaching the max SEO1 level.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

If you can get 1 more B, pretty much will secure the promotion

Beg to differ on this. Promotion is based on CEP AND performance. You can be a very good performer (As/Bs every year) but if your CEP is low, it will not hasten your promotion to the next subgrade.

Having said that, if you are a good performer, then they will consider raising your CEP too.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

If you can get 1 more B, pretty much will secure the promotion

Performance grades do not "secure" promotions. If a panel wants to accelerate an officer's promotion, they must raise the officer's CEP, otherwise the pace of promotion will be unaffected.

Asking for a friend.. what salary can a subject head (6-7 years of exprrience) expect to command? Thanks!

Hi! Would like to ask more about ST role. Just met my RO last week and they asked me to choose my track. School gave me a leadership role this year but it ain’t my thing. My HOD asked me if I want to be ST last year and I said I’ll give it a thought. How’s the payscale like for ST and what’s the trajectory like? This is my 4th year in service.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Bad time to join teaching.

They are cutting headcount by around 400 each year.

Cutting 400 EOs is the equivalent of closing 4 schools annually.

Career progression is slowly than ever, and workload will just keep increasing.

People who left are not replaced, and those lowest on the pecking order will take over the duties of those who left with no end in sight.

Join CS is much better. Working hours will probably be as long, but the pay will be 2-3 times higher. Further can keep your personal life, don't have to continue maintain image outside of school.

cut headcount of 400 annually?
teaching staff?