MOE makes headway in rethinking teachers’ duties, continues efforts to ease workload: Desmond Lee

SINGAPORE - The workload of teachers will remain a key focus in the new year, as the Ministry of Education (MOE) continues efforts to rethink teachers’ duties and work processes.

In a video message welcoming educators back to school on Jan 5, Education Minister Desmond Lee said this includes implementing recommendations from an MOE task force that looks at reimagining the teaching profession, among other support measures for teachers.

Responding to queries from The Straits Times, MOE said on Jan 5 that the task force, set up in 2024, includes educators and representatives from MOE headquarters. Its role is to review teachers’ responsibilities and ways of working, so that educators can better meet changing needs while maintaining a high-quality teaching workforce.

“From my conversations with some of you, I’ve heard your candid feedback on how teaching has become more complex and challenging,” he said in the three-minute-long video. “But it is clear that you do not shy away from difficult tasks when there is a strong mission and purpose.”

“We are making headway in recalibrating what teachers do and rethinking how teachers work,” said Mr Lee, adding that school leaders have identified key priorities and are working on streamlining programmes and simplifying administrative processes.

MOE will continue to look at how to make procurement processes more efficient for teachers so they can focus on their core mission of teaching and nurturing students, he said. Procurement includes paperwork and approval processes involved in buying teaching materials and engaging vendors.

Over the years, the ministry has introduced

flexible work arrangements to support teachers

who need to balance their work and personal needs. These include later reporting times or working from home on days without lessons.

Mr Lee said the ministry has also refreshed guidelines to discourage parent and staff communication after school hours, except for critical emergencies.

Currently, school leaders are guided on how to allocate workloads fairly, considering teachers’ strengths and preferences, said MOE, and teachers receive six to seven weeks of protected vacation time each year, with the option of extending.

Schools now also have more flexibility to pace the implementation of new initiatives, MOE said, and schools have more support with administrative teams and allied educators, including counsellors and staff supporting students with special needs.

Alongside these efforts, Mr Lee said artificial intelligence and technology will continue to be used to support teachers in their work, listing improvements to

existing tools such as Authoring Copilot and Learning Assistant.

Authoring Copilot, an AI-driven tool that helps with lesson planning, can now automatically generate interactive content, images and games, he said, while the Learning Assistant can support live group discussions, giving teachers the chance to focus on groups that require more guidance.

Improvements have been made to tools to ease administrative work, like an AI tool that helps write student testimonials, which has reduced time spent drafting structured testimonials, said Mr Lee.

Teachers also have access to tools like HeyTalia, an AI assistant that helps them send messages to parents, he added.

“We recognise that there will be an initial learning curve, and some time and effort are needed for us to get used to these helpful tools,” he said, adding that MOE will provide resources and learning opportunities such as workshops and self-help modules.

Schools have set up committees to look after the well-being of staff, and provide peer support and self-care resources for teachers, while in-house professional counselling offers more support, said MOE.

Teachers should continue to share suggestions with school leaders and superintendents, said Mr Lee.

“Having professional and caring educators who are deeply committed to shaping the lives of our children and youth is one of Singapore’s strengths,” he said, adding that teachers play an important part in shaping students’ hearts and minds.

“I know there is more to do, and we will continue to work with our school leaders to strengthen the ecosystem of support,” he said.

When Madam Pang Yu-Ming first started teaching, she spent up to 11 hours a day designing lessons from scratch and juggling administrative tasks.

“Administrative tasks were tedious and, at times, overwhelming,” said Madam Pang, who has been teaching for 13 years and is currently a teacher at Queenstown Secondary School.

“Parents would retrieve my mobile number from students and contact me outside of working hours, sometimes with lengthy concerns.”

Now, measures such as part-time work arrangements have helped her find a balance between teaching and caring for her three children, improving her mental health and well-being.

This arrangement includes flexible reporting times and exemption from co-curricular activities. She added that she has also benefited from

MOE guidelines limiting contact with teachers after work hours

.

Her principal sends weekly announcements in a single e-mail, reducing e-mail traffic and meetings, enabling teachers to better use their time, Madam Pang said.

Madam Syafiqah Ryaihanny, a Malay language teacher at Jurong Primary School, said her workload has eased over the past two years as her school has implemented measures like shorter, more focused staff meetings.

“Our Wednesday staff meetings used to last very long, and sometimes, we do not know when it will end,” said Madam Syafiqah, who has been a teacher for eight years. These sessions could sometimes run from 2.15pm to 5.30pm.

“After a whole day of teaching, we are tired, and it can be hard to focus when meetings are content-heavy,” she said, adding that some meetings now last just 15 minutes, with none arranged on Fridays.

This has given her more autonomy over her time, whether it is for marking, lesson planning or spending time alone or with family.

Madam Syafiqah has also learnt the importance of setting personal boundaries.

“Teaching is something I genuinely enjoy, but I will always try to keep work out of home,” she said. “I learnt to take care of myself so I can be a better teacher and mother.”