MOE launches vision statement to highlight values of teaching profession

SINGAPORE : Many say teaching is a calling. And with more people signing up, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has come up with a vision statement to bring out the core values of the profession.

The past decade has seen reforms giving teachers a bigger say in how and what they teach.

There are also more career options, and more opportunities for them to pursue further studies.

All these are part of a process to professionalise the teaching service.

And now, teachers have created a vision statement to express what they aspire in themselves.

The statement is made up of a few simple words — "Singapore Teachers: Lead. Care. Inspire", and teachers said it’s a good reminder of why they chose their vocation.

Nowadays, teachers are also mentors to their class, and have to deal with a whole array of paperwork.

And as students get more internet savvy, teachers have to keep up too.

"I guess they are all bogged down with the daily routine, and they get frustrated when things don’t go their way... and they don’t have the time to sit and reflect and think, which I think is very important in the teaching service... to reflect and think about what we have done, so that there can be improvement," said Ko Li Ling, head of Department at Northlight School.

Over 28,000 teachers helped craft the vision statement, over a series of sharing workshops between February and July 2009.

Attrition rates in the teaching service have stayed fairly consistent in the past five years, at an average of 3 per cent.

And with the economic downturn, coupled with a strong push by the government to expand its pool of teachers, teaching has become an attractive career option.

Just last month, Education Minister Ng Eng Hen announced that his ministry had hit its 2009 recruitment target by the mid—year mark.

It had aimed to hire 3,000 teachers by the end of the year, but had signed on 3,040 by June.

The MOE hopes the vision statement will foster a greater sense of belonging among teachers. — CNA /ls

一个见义勇为的人

一天傍晚，放学了，我便去托儿所接弟弟－－－小明和小华。半路上，我们经过一条大水沟，看见水沟旁有几个小孩子，你推我，我推你地在玩耍，使我想起了一件恐怖的往事。

当年，我还不满7岁。我有个好朋友，名叫小强，他的年龄比我大一岁，所以我把他当成哥哥。有一天，我觉得很烦闷，便去小强的家玩。来到小强的家，他的妈妈告诉我，小强和邻居的小朋友出去玩了。当时，正下着倾盆大雨，我得裤管都浸湿了。

当我经过一条大水沟时，我看见小强和几个邻居朋友在沟旁玩。突然，一个小孩不小心，把小强撞进了水沟里。别的小孩子看到这种情形，都一溜烟地逃跑了。我看到这种情景，怎么能袖手旁观，眼睁睁地看着小强被淹死呢？可是我不会游泳，不知道要怎么样才能救他。

这时，一个年轻人经过这里，看见这情景，便奋不顾身地跳下水沟，把小强救上来。

小强被救上来后，我和小强都非常感激那个年轻人。小强向那年轻人道谢，并认为他是一位见义勇为的好青年。