Read this letter.
My comment
The workload of teachers can be reduced by employing more non-teachers for the support duties. There are many unemployed people who would love to have the opportunity for these support duties. I hope that the government will be willing to spend some money to create the employment and reduce the workload of teachers.
i think our education system focus simply too much on winning and losing, and everybondy wants to be no 1. This is probably the root cause of why our teachers (and students) are so taxed with work
ReplyDeleteSuch taxing workload on the children is not necessary as it dulls the children mind. They cannot grow up to be thinking individuals, but very good in academic, meeting deadlines and becoming yes-men. Our education system churns out very good managers at best, but poor leaders and entrepreneurs
In the past, this is ok as there are adequate managers/executives jobs around. Now we have many PRs and foreign talents also competiting for these managers/executive jobs and are willing to accept lower wages than Singaporeans. i hope that the jobs can keep up
Jerome
Strongly Agree MOE should look into employing non-teaching staffs as one of my relative also a teacher for many years and she really work long hours.
ReplyDeleteIt is not uncommon for employees in other professions, such as banking, marketing, sales, to work 12 hours a day as well.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was working in a commercial company, I (and my colleagues) worked from 8 am to 9 pm consistently too.
There is a common perception that other private and public companies provide 18 or 21 day's annual leave, whereas for teachers, minus all the vacation days that they need to go back to school for duty, still enjoy about 40 days annual leave. Having more annual leave sort of 'compensates' for working longer hours during school term.
Having said this, I fully support cutting down the workload of MOE teachers. CP
Many people in Singapore feel insecure in their jobs. They work long hours and stay back until 8 pm or later, to appear hard working and indispensable. Even if the work has been done, they will stay back just to occupy their time.
ReplyDeleteThey have no time for social life or to raise a family.
Have you wondered why Singapore has (perhaps) the lowest birth rate in the whole world?
In my view, this is caused by insecurity of job, long working hours (to compensate for insecurity) and high cost of living.
Read this article on the workload of teachers in S'pore.
ReplyDeletehttp://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/05/16/are-singapore-teachers-overworked/
I heard from my friends working in both private and government sectors, they told me that in order to get job security, going home on the dot and setting up a family, it is best to work in civil service.
ReplyDeleteEmployers, bosses actually create more work than necessary.
ReplyDeleteMy immediate boss 'requests' to have a presentation on sales numbers for each quarter, with candle sticks, bar charts and pie charts... usually at last minute notice ( 5:30pm) and this is on top of my regular routine work in areas outside of presentations. I cannot leave the office until its done.
More and more statistics.. and analysis.. its his job not mine!
But he loads it on and seems very oblivious how it is affecting the staff.
These are the so called "leaders"
of industry.. no wonder they have time to attend ribbon cutting ceremonies, golf and doing their "tai-bo" boxing excercise. We get home after 9pm.. and make babies? you got to be kidding!
I rather join the protestors in BKK.
There are some bosses who like to give work at the last minute (close to 6pm) and sometimes this is done on Fridays and expecting the reports to be ready by Monday morning. The employee has no choice but to work over the weekends to rush out the report. How do you expect the employee to relax over the weekend and spend the time with his or her family?
ReplyDelete