It is a model the Government is aiming to follow.

Yesterday, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced that it hopes to recruit only graduates to fill open teaching positions in primary and secondary schools by 2015.

'Educational levels of the population have been rising over the years,' said DrNg. 'There are higher expectations... which are better met by graduate teachers,' he said.

Now, 55 per cent of primary school teachers and 91 per cent of secondary school teachers are graduates.

Meanwhile, Dr Ng said the MOE would continue to invest heavily in the professional development of teachers. An increasing number have obtained their undergraduate degrees while in-service, from 256 in 2004 to 364 in this year.

To increase the pool of graduates, the ministry will double the value of interest- free study loans from next month.

Non-graduate teachers told The Straits Times that they welcomed the changes.

'Doing a degree will increase our content knowledge,' said Madam Lee Shiao Huai, a Chinese Language teacher at Raffles Girls' Primary School.

'We will become stronger in subject areas,' added the 26-year-old, who is pursuing a degree in Chinese Language.

Another non-graduate teacher, Ms Monique Holdorff from Jurong West Primary School, said a degree would help expand her horizons.

'You get to spend more time on the pedagogy and learn how to teach. Our pay scale will improve and career prospects will be better,' said the 23-year-old.

SUMATHI V. SELVARETNAM