JC mergers: Equal representation of staff in merged JCs, say principals

JC mergers: Equal representation of staff in merged JCs, say principals
By Lianne Chia Posted 21 Apr 2017 00:07 Updated 21 Apr 2017 13:23

SINGAPORE: Teaching staff in the junior colleges affected by the JC mergers will be equally represented in the merged JC, said principals of two JCs slated to merge in 2019.

Earlier on Thursday (Apr 20), the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced that four pairs of JCs would merge in 2019. Staff in the affected JCs may go on to teach in the merged JC, or be redeployed - either to teach at primary or secondary schools, or to a posting at the ministry's headquarters (HQ).

But Innova JC principal Michael de Silva stressed that the merged JC will comprise staff from both JCs in “substantial numbers”. Innova JC (IJC) will form a merged pair with Yishun JC (YJC), with the site of the merged JC to be located at YJC.

But in determining which staff will be redeployed, he added that there are some “structural issues” that need to be considered

“This is multi-faceted,” he said. “It’s not so simple to say that we’ll take the best teacher because teachers have different strengths.

“Some teachers teach math, some don’t, and you can’t have a GP teacher that teaches math ... so as in all teacher deployments, it begins with the students, and the courses and what they need. From there, we decide the teachers that will be put there,” Mr de Silva added.

Nonetheless, he reiterated that his teachers will have a choice in the matter.

“We will be having conversations with them on a one-to-one basis to find out what their preferences are,” he said. “But we will work with MOE on the deployment, taking their choices into account.”

The same goes for staff at YJC. Its principal, Mrs Edelweis Neo, noted that before news of the merger broke, some teachers had already approached her indicating their interest in a different posting.

“One teacher wants to do something else, like a stint in HQ, and a few told me they wanted to try going to secondary or primary schools,” she said. “So we’ll work with them; the majority will move on to the merged JC, and for those who want to try other posts, we will help them to achieve this.”

QUESTIONS REMAIN: TEACHERS IN AFFECTED SCHOOLS

Speaking to Channel NewsAsia on the condition of anonymity, some teachers in the various affected JCs said news of the merger did not come as a big surprise, citing persistent rumours that have been floating around for some time.

But even after the news officially broke, questions still remain, according to a teacher in one of the affected schools.

The teacher said that for some of the staff, issues like what was the criteria used to select the schools for merger, the conditions of the merger and how does the school decide who stays and who leaves were topmost on their minds. Others were concerned over what is going to happen to the merged school’s identity, and how it will affect the students.

“There is a certain level of anxiety, sadness and discomfort, maybe a bit of vulnerability," the teacher said.

It will take some time for people to come to terms with the mergers and its implications, the teacher noted.

A teacher in another JC said staff appear to be “re-evaluating their options”.

“But there is always the concern that we will be redeployed to another school,” she said. “There’s already a surplus of JC teachers and now there will be even fewer JCs with the merger.”

The teacher added that she enjoyed teaching her subject and the cognitive challenge of teaching it at the JC level.

Another teacher, who has more than a decade of teaching experience, said it is likely that the teachers most “vulnerable” to being re-deployed are those in the mid-tier, with about eight to 12 years of experience.

“We know very well that, for example, some staff like the key personnel and heads of department will certainly stay, unless they prefer not to. So where does that leave the rest of us normal, ordinary teachers?”

The teacher added that younger staff are likely to be more secure in their position, given their higher levels of energy and newer skills.

The teacher added that if she ends up being re-deployed against her will, she will consider leaving the teaching service.

“Even though teaching gives me this stability and security, it seems like the security is no longer there,” she said. “I think the real beneficiary will be the tuition industry.”

BEST OF BOTH COLLEGES

At IJC and YJC, effort has been put in to reassure staff and explain the rationale for the merger.

IJC’s Mr de Silva said explaining the reasons for the merger is “the biggest challenge faced by the school at this moment”.

He said: “Like the students, many staff would also have an emotional attachment to the place. But they understand the need for the change.

“I called to their attention why we are teachers and why we joined teaching. At the end of the day, it’s about the education of students, not just the current cohort but also future cohorts. I think if one is a teacher - and we go to the heart of why we are a teacher - one would do the right thing via the students. And I think the teachers see it that way.”

He added that communication channels will be kept open for staff and students, and the school will also be engaging parents and alumni.

In terms of programmes and opportunities for students, the merged JC will also comprise the best of both colleges, with YJC’s Mrs Neo describing it as “an equal fusion of both JCs”.

In the interim, plans are in the pipeline for both JCs to field joint sports teams for competitions, and hold a joint open house next year.

“Next year’s batch of JC1s is shared between us and IJC,” she explained. “So even though IJC will not have a JC1 cohort next year, their JC2s can team up with our JC1s to field teams or go for competitions together.”

“Michael ( IJC’s principal) and I already work very closely, and in fact we go back a long way to when we were in school division together. Our staff also work very closely with each other,” she added.

“So I think we will have a good working relationship for this.”

- CNA/lc

- wong chee tat :)

O-Level results: Record 84.3% score at least 5 passes, highest since 1995

O-Level results: Record 84.3% score at least 5 passes, highest since 1995
Posted 11 Jan 2017 15:00

SINGAPORE: A record-breaking 84.3 per cent of students scored at least five passes in last year’s O-Level examinations, beating a 20-year high attained by the previous cohort, according to results released by the Ministry of Education (MOE) on Wednesday (Jan 11).

The percentage of students who scored five or more passes in 2015 was 83.8 per cent – then the highest proportion since at least 1995.

Last year, 30,292 school candidates sat for the O-Levels, up from 29,723 the previous year. Of these, 30,262 – or 99.9 per cent – passed at least one subject, unchanged from the previous year. A total of 29,221 students, or 96.5 per cent, scored at least three passes, up from 96.1 per cent from 2015.

A total of 1,865 private candidates also sat for the examination last year, compared to 1,983 in 2015. Out of these, 90.2 per cent passed at least one subject, down slightly from 90.5 per cent.

Students can visit MOE’s education and career guidance portal for information on the various educational options available to them after the O-Level examination, the ministry said.

- CNA/mz


- wong chee tat :)

MOE, SEAB to stop listing top-scoring students in all national exams

MOE, SEAB to stop listing top-scoring students in all national exams
By Kimberly Spykerman | Posted: 20 November 2012 2000 hrs
     
SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Education (MOE) and Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) will stop listing the top-scoring students in all national examinations.

The ministry told Channel NewsAsia on Tuesday that it will stop the current practice of listing the top students for the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), and the "O" and "N" Level examinations.

MOE began providing a list of top students in 1999 but has never indicated the top scorers for the "A" Level examination.

Ahead of the release of the results of this year's PSLE on Thursday, MOE said the focus will be on the performance of the whole cohort.

This is in line with the importance of recognising the students for their holistic development and all-round excellence.

Amid the current debate on the pressure the PSLE exerts on parents and students, MOE hopes the change will balance the over-emphasis on academic results.

MOE said this does not mean that academic achievement will no longer be celebrated.

Students who have done well academically will still receive recognition for their hard work, such as through the Edusave Awards and scholarships.

At the school level, schools may continue to celebrate their students' achievements to recognise their students' efforts and to use this platform for students to express their appreciation to teachers and parents.

MOE hopes that this change will enable it to foster a better balance in emphasis and help parents and students understand that academic performance is just one aspect of a student's overall development and progress.

MOE stressed that each student deserves to be commended for his or her effort and progress.

- CNA/de

- wong chee tat :)