Foreign Teachers in Public Schools

[dschneer]

Hello All,

I am currently a teacher in a high school in Tokyo. My wife and I are looking to relocate to Singapore for the 2007-8 academic year. Ideally, I would like to find a position at an International School (I am licensed in my home country and hold an MA). However, I know that the Ministry of Education is actively recruiting foreign teachers for the public school system, and I am considering this option as well.

Are there any foreign teachers out there working in public schools (not language schools) that could give me an idea of the job conditions?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

David

[Matt10]

http://www.moe.gov.sg/teach/Expatriate.htm

[dschneer]

Hi Matt10,

Thank you for the link. I have seen this and it the remuneration and benefits looks impressive.

I was hoping for some firsthand accounts of what it is like to work in a public school. What are the students like in general? What is the curriculum like? What sort of administrative pressures are there? That sort of thing.

Thanks again.

David

[kaurikid]

Hi

I have taught in Singapore for over five years.

Kids are the same as anywhere in the world.Parents are demanding.

Local teachers are a bit suspicious of foreign teachers but after a couple of years they realise that you are a partner in the school not a threat.
There are more nonsense meetings than you can imagine.

There is debate about putting foreign teachers in local schools as they stopped hiring foreign teachers in 1997 but now are relooking at the policies and trying to improve language and social science teaching and are hoping foreign teachers will be able to contribute.

I have worked with some amazing Singaporean teachers, have had some great HODs.

The packages look good but a little lower than International Schools.

Hope this helps.

[dschneer]

Hi Kaurikid,

Thanks so much for the reply. I would love to chat more with you about teaching in Singapore, if you wouldn't mind. I am not allowed to post personal messages yet as I haven't posted enough to the forum. Could I ask you to drop me a line at davidschneer@hotmail.com?

David