One does not join the profession to get rich. In Singapore, educators are better paid than their peers in many parts of the world, but the pay is still not much compared with what one may get in the private sector.
More often than not, someone becomes a teacher because he wants to touch lives and help change the world in a small way. Perhaps he had a good teacher when he was a student, and now wants to pay it forward.
Teaching in Singapore in the 21st century is not an easy task. Expectations have definitely changed since the 80s and 90s – expectations from the Ministry of Education, and from various stakeholders such as school boards, parents and students.
It is tough teaching digital natives when one is a digital immigrant. It is not easy juggling lesson preparation, marking assignments and tests, co-curricular activities, the duties of a form teacher, and school committee work.
It is challenging to keep up with new policies as they are rolled out. There is plenty of on-the-job training to gain experience in handling delinquent students with poor family support, students with socio-emotional problems, and students with undiagnosed special educational needs.
It is daunting to teach subjects like languages, now that the use of artificial intelligence has become widespread, as it is teaching subjects like mathematics and the humanities, because the age-old question from students – “Why do we need to learn this?” – is becoming increasingly difficult to answer.
Let us remember that teachers are human too. Besides their professional role, they are also parents, children and siblings. Burnout is very real, especially when respect for the profession has somewhat diminished from Singapore’s nation-building years.
I therefore disagree with the saying that goes “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach”, and would like to instead say: “Those who can, teach.”
This September, let us wish teachers a very happy Teachers’ Day.
Julian Teo Eng Keat
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