We appreciate Ms Lynn Neo's concerns for teachers' workload (Be mindful of giving teachers too many administrative duties, Feb 22), and would like to reassure her that the well-being of our teachers is of utmost importance to the Ministry of Education (MOE).

As Ms Neo pointed out, the pandemic has led to an increased workload for our teachers and other school staff, much like its impact on other sectors. Despite the exceptional demands placed on them, our schools have been steadfast in their mission, ensuring that students have minimal disruptions in learning as the situation continues to evolve. Without their painstaking efforts, we would not have been able to keep learning going over the past two years with minimal disruption.

We are grateful to our school staff for their support in the national fight against Covid-19. They go the extra mile to care for their students, including the small number of students who need assistance to be vaccinated under the School-Facilitated Vaccination Exercise.

Students whose families have difficulties taking them to the paediatric vaccination centres are reassured when school staff can provide the support.

MOE will continue to work closely with schools to strengthen support for our teachers and care for their mental and physical well-being.

School leaders will pay greater attention to the management of their workload. We encourage teachers to share their concerns with supervisors. Teachers can also access well-being resources, which include approaching the wellness ambassadors in their schools and the counselling services under iCare.

Our teachers work hard and play multiple roles to ensure that our next generation grows up to be confident and resilient adults. We will continue to work with all stakeholders to manage our teachers' workload and safeguard their welfare.

Liew Wei Li

Deputy Director-General of Education (Schools) and Director of Schools

Ministry of Education