Teaching with the MOE

This may be helpful for you if you have a Teaching Degree (B.Ed / PGDE) and are considering teaching with the Ministry (MOE) or in public, government or local schools in Singapore.
For a list of international schools in Singapore, click here.

If you haven't already, please take a look at the Education System in Singapore, as it is drastically different from that in Canada. This will help make your transition to teaching in Singapore a little smoother.

The Singapore School (for the Foreign Teacher)

For teachers who are considering coming to teach at a local school in Singapore, you may find answers to the following questions helpful:

How different is it from teaching in Canada?

Your experience in a Singapore classroom can be very different depending on the level (Primary, secondary or JC*) that you teach and the school that you are in. Experiences can vary drastically even within Singapore. But on the whole, you will be teaching a different curriculum, and be exposed to a completely different culture when it comes to the classroom!
*for more information on the different schools, click here and visit www.moe.gov.sg  for more details.

What is the curriculum taught in Singapore?

Most schools in Singapore follow the O-Level and A-Level Examination system, a set of exams set by Cambridge. There are a few schools that offer the IB, and we may see more of this in the near future.

How many students are there in one class?

Class sizes range again depending on the level you teach. They can range from 10-40 depending on the level, school and module you are teaching. Typically, primary and secondary school classes hold 40 students per class (with 1 teacher) and JC classrooms are 25-30 students per class.

Are Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) mandatory?

For most teachers, yes. CCAs are compulsory and considered part of being the Singapore teacher.
I do know that when you first come in to teach, you are not given a full teaching load (and for the most part, beginning teachers are not assigned any CCAs).
This is also dependent on the school you are teaching at. There are some schools that do not offer CCAs as they are specialty schools (such as The Singapre Sports School or The School of the Arts). And as such, some teachers may not have CCA duties.

Are CCAs the the same as taking up Extra-curricular in Canada?

While CCAs are considered part and parcel of the life of a teach in Singapore, running a CCA in Singapore is very different from running one in Canada (or in Toronto schools, at least). For most CCAs, schools hire professional coaches and trainers to come in to teach students. There are coaches for every school sports team, external trainers and partners who come in to train your students for Drama Club, and professional dancers and choreographers who come in to teach the Dance CCA. I found this mind-blowing when I first arrived! Schools take their CCAs so seriously that they will go to the extent to hire professionals, and sometimes national players and national coaches to coach your students! These are mainly for the competitive CCAs, where the team competes in Inter-School competitions. If your CCA is such, then your role is mostly that of a supervisor and mentor to the students, not so much coaching, although many teachers do team up with external coaches and coach students together. Of course, there are many other clubs and sports CCAs that are recreational and don't require external coaches. Being on Student Council is a big deal in Singapore, as it carries a lot of prestige and it is also one of the heaviest CCAs.

What does a typical school day look like?

This can really vary depending on whether you teach Primary, Secondary or JC (This is pre-university college for Grade 11 & 12 students).
Be prepared to start and end your day much earlier and later than in Canada!
The typical school day begins around 7.30am. Primary schools typically end their curriculum (contact or teaching time) days at 2.30pm. Secondary schools end around 4pm. On some days, the JCs can have classes until 5:30pm. Though, most schools will have early days in the week where lessons are done at 2 or 2.30pm. After which, CCas may begin.
While the hours may seem daunting at first glance, most teachers typically only have 12-13 hours of contact time a week. Some schools have dedicated CCA days where school ends earlier so that students can have their CCAs. This also varies from school to school, but you can expect to have 2-3 hours of CCA per week as well.
It is also quite possible that CCAs or practice/training/rehearsals fall on a Saturday.

Do students speak English?

English is (one of) the official language(s) in Singapore, and apart from Mother Tongue lessons, all instruction is given in English. Students mos definitely understand and speak/read/write English, though, I have found over the years that it is easier to connect with students through the use of Singlish.

What are the students like in Singapore?

The classroom culture is very different in Singapore. Every time you walk into a classroom, the whole class stands to greet you. Students are generally very respectful of teachers. The behavior of students can also vary drastically depending on the different school that you are in. The O-Level and A-Levels are extremely rigorous and not all students are equipped with the social support to excel. There may be students who lose interest because the system is quite exam and results oriented.
In my experience, the most disruptive classroom behaviour I got was: students eating or sleeping in class.

What is the workload like as a teacher in Singapore?

I think that the workload will feel heavier or lighter also depending on the subject that you teach. If you teach the Mathematics or Science subjects in Singapore, your workload seems less in comparison to the workload of that of a Humanities, English or Arts teacher.

Having taught both the Math/Sciences and English, it is in my experience that while there may be the same number of exams and assignments across the board, the Humanities/English teachers seem to have more work! And this is simply because the marking takes more time.

So if you are coming over to Singapore to teach General Paper (as I did), be prepared to read essays!

Ministry Specific Questions for MOE Foreign Teachers:
For teachers who are coming to teach in Singapore in the local system/at national schools, you may find this useful:

I was asked to come 2 weeks prior to the start of my teaching contract for orientation. Was this helpful?

I think coming earlier is a good idea. I actually came 3 weeks before the start of my teaching contract so that I could have some time to get used to Singapore even before the orientation. I also took this time to explore Singapore and do some of the touristy things. Of course, exploring food is much better with the locals!
This orientation is also called 'induction' (aka orientation/training for foreign teachers). I think that this is a general teacher induction to Singapore. It is possible that they will not cover subject specific details, such as specific curriculum during this time. What they will do is give you a general overview of what the education system is like in Singapore. It is drastically different from that in Toronto or Canada. The system itself is quite complex and takes some time understanding. Not only is the curriculum very different, the focus, and how students relate to teachers, teachers to each other, is also very different as well.
I learned a lot about Singapore and how things work during my induction, and I think you will find it very useful as well. They will also take you to set up your bank account, etc.
The most important thing about the induction though, was spending time with other foreign teachers who were in the same situation as me. This is where I met the people who, over the course of the year became my support group, my friends and until today, even though we are doing different things in different parts of the world, are still quite close. I think in all honesty, That was one of the things that i was most grateful for: connecting with and building friendships with people who will be my support.
You may find that you will not be posted to the same school as your induction mates. However, soon after teaching in my own school, I was lucky to have great colleagues, whom I made very good friends with.

What is one thing that you had to pick up very quickly?

The fact that Singaporeans use are lots and lots of acronyms! The number of acronyms and the fact that almost everyone remembers all of them is quite impressive. Having said that, I had a lot of catching up to do when I first arrived. After living here for 4 years, the different acronyms come to me like the back of my hand. But I recall that I got a little confused when I first arrived. MOE, GO, SMS, MRT. Anything that can be put into an acronym, will be. I think that's something else you learn about during your induction too.

Does the MOE provide Foreign Teachers with Medical insurance?

When working with the MOE, you are typically given a medical allowance every year. You are also given a separate allowance for Dental Expenses. Of course, the allowance given may chance depending on their policies. You can use the medical allowance to claim out-patient expenses like medicine prescribed by the doctor and Medical Certificates. In short, teachers aren't given employment medical health plans.
As a foreigner, I purchased a separate Health Insurance Policy (inpatient) as well as a Personal Accident insurance policies. To my knowledge, these are not covered/subsidized by the government unless you are a Singapore citizen or PR. The hospital and medical costs can be quite high in Singapore if you do not have insurance.
I believe that the costs for a visit to the hospital Emergency can cost from 150-250SGD for one visit. A one night stay in a public hospital can cost from 500SGD onwards (not including costs for medical supplies, consultation fees, procedures, operation costs, etc). If you choose to go to a private hospital, the costs can easily double or triple.

This will be my first teaching job, will I have a mentor?

If you are hired and working for the Ministry, they usually do assign a mentor to you to help you with adapting to Singapore and the teaching/education system. These mentors are typically retired teachers or retired principals.

If you are wondering whether you will get a mentor at your school (and within your department), which may be more helpful in terms of adjusting to your workplace/workload, etc.... this will really depend on the various schools. Each school has their own mentor-mentee system. Some do it better than others. I've been lucky to have met good friends on my stints teaching here (both within the Ministry and outside) and have been lucky to have good colleagues and mentors who showed me the ropes.

Will Foreign Teachers have the chance to undergo professional development?

Yes. Most definitely. The Ministry invests heavily into developing their teachers. They even have a minimum required number of hours (per annum) for each teacher/officer within the ministry to attend professional development courses. And while I was with the Ministry, my Department Head supported sending me to various courses, and even allowed me to attend a Senior Teacher course (I was keen on learning how to mentor others).

Other national schools will also support teachers attending professional development as well (Such as the Singapore Sports Schools, or Singapore School of the Arts). Though, I don't have information on international/independent schools regarding professional development.

Can I take Sick Days (Medical Leave)?

Yes. Every teacher is entitled to 12 days of full paid Medical Leave a year. Should an officer (employee within the Ministry of Education) require medical leave beyond 12 days, it is subject to approval and officers could be granted unpaid leave.

What is an MC? (And information about the MC Culture in Singapore)

An MC is short for Medical Certificate, i.e. a Doctor's note. Any employee who requires medical leave needs to submit proper documentation. This policy actually applies to all companies in Singapore - but they public or private. I used to think that this was a government policy, but it is not. I have come to realize that this is a formality to ensure employees are accountable for their absentees.

The flips side of this is that in in order for any employee in Singapore to take medical leave, they must visit a doctor. And visiting Doctors cost money (for all patients) as Singapore is not a Commonwealth society, and does not offer OHIP or have comprehensive Government paid-for health insurance. Teachers also don't get 'mental days', where you can call in sick to 'take a day off'. A visit to the doctor's office is a must. But since this applies to everyone (all jobs and industries), you may encounter a situation where the doctor's office is quite packed on Mondays and Fridays.

Do Foreign Teachers have work-life balance?

I think with all jobs, this depends on how much we (as an employee) will to ensure we have that balance. Teaching in Singapore in general, I dare say, does seem to be a heavier workload than teaching with the TDSB (school hours are longer, and the curriculum seems to be more demanding). Having said that, I got used to it after a year, and I appreciate that I can now take on more.

I have heard that teachers get bonuses. Is this true, and am I entitled to it?

It is true, and you most definitely are! It is customary for most employees working in Singapore to receive a 13th month bonus. Definitely all civil servants (all government employees) will receive this. On top of that, teachers also receive a performance bonus that is typically paid out in March (for the previous years' performance). I've written my thoughts about this in the 'blog' section, and will leave opinion of this segment. The government also gives other bonuses as well (I can't remember the names of the bonuses, but they are dependent on how well the government is doing) and are paid out in July and December. The 13th month bonus is also paid out in December..

Do I need to pay income tax as Foreign Teacher? How much will I need to pay in taxes?

This will depend on your country of residence/citizenship and the treaties that your country has with Singapore. For Canadians, this is usually less than 10% of your total pay.

Will I get promoted as a Foreign Teacher (within the MOE)?

In order to do so within the Ministry, you need to be a Singapore Permanent Resident.

Have any other questions? Please leave a comment or drop me an email!



For more information about teaching in Singapore as a Foreign Teacher with the MOE please visit the MOE website: http://www.moe.gov.sg/careers/teach/applying/trained-foreign-teachers/ .