IMPROVED PROCESSES BUT NEW EXPECTATIONS
In a joint statement to CNA, representatives from Singapore’s four teachers’ unions noted that educators generally agree that MOE’s measures have been helpful in specific areas – for instance, grading is faster and paperwork is less onerous.
Teachers CNA spoke to highlighted the Parents Gateway online platform, which has made collecting consent forms and medical certificates slightly smoother; as well as artificial intelligence tools for writing testimonials, which have saved time.
But these measures have not dramatically lowered teachers’ overall workload, as aspects such as task mix or intensity may have shifted, and teachers also often use freed-up time for more value-added work, said the Singapore Teachers’ Union, Singapore Chinese Teachers’ Union, Singapore Malay Teachers’ Union and Singapore Tamil Teachers’ Union.
“From a policy perspective, this shifts effort to higher-impact activities, but teachers may still feel their workload is as heavy as before,” said the unions. “Many would argue that the core pressures of the job – long hours, numerous responsibilities – remain unchanged.”
