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
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