Why these MOE teachers left familiar classrooms to teach the Singapore curriculum overseas

Why these MOE teachers left familiar classrooms to teach the Singapore curriculum overseas About 30 out of 33,000 MOE teachers are posted overseas. Overcoming differences in culture and teaching styles, they tell CNA why they chose to make the move. SINGAPORE: When he first moved to Hong Kong for work, Mr Lim Wei Yi felt homesick for three months. After a decade teaching in Gan Eng Seng School, the 37-year-old had successfully applied for a posting at the Singapore International School in Hong Kong (SISHK), trading the familiar for the foreign. Now into his second year, Mr Lim has adjusted to life in the city. But he is candid about the early days. “I won't lie and say that I wasn't homesick, because Singapore is still at least about four hours away,” he said. “We are far away from our friends and family, and naturally, I'd be a bit homesick because my loved ones are all in Singapore.” The language barrier also took some getting used to. While English is the main language within the school, outside is a different picture, with Cantonese and Mandarin used frequently. Mr Lim's spoken Mandarin is "fine", but he has been picking up Cantonese from colleagues over lunch. Two years in, he has mastered a handful of phrases that have made daily life a little easier. "Siu siu," he said with a laugh – "a little bit" in Cantonese. Mr Lim is among about 30 Ministry of Education (MOE) teachers currently posted overseas, teaching at SISHK and various overseas Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) locations. The ministry has about 33,000 teachers in total. Hong Kong is home to one of the largest Singaporean expatriate communities in Asia, with over 20,000 residents. “Generally, teachers would have served in MOE for at least three years and possess the necessary expertise and knowledge to be considered for such secondments,” an MOE spokesperson told CNA. Beyond providing development opportunities for teachers, the arrangement also helps ensure that Singaporean students overseas can “integrate seamlessly into the Singapore education system upon their return”, said the spokesperson. SISHK arranges induction sessions to support seconded teachers, who cover subjects including English, mathematics, science and humanities at the primary and secondary levels. For teachers posted to SAF locations, a two-week understudy period forms part of the onboarding process, said a Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) spokesperson. The SAF has detachments in France, the United States and Australia. Teachers are also briefed on administrative matters such as parent engagement, teaching resources and timetabling. “This will ensure the teachers are adequately prepared for their roles in SAF locations,” MINDEF said. GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT For Ms Ong Shir Ling, SISHK's primary-level science department head, the move was a deliberate one to avoid stagnation. After 25 years as an educator, she wanted a change of environment to reignite her passion for teaching. “My friends told me that I was crazy when I wanted to take on this job,” said the 54-year-old, now in her third year in Hong Kong. “They said, ‘People are all working towards retirement, why are you going to take on more responsibilities and on a new learning curve?’ I told them I felt a bit stagnant and I needed that challenge.” She had spoken with teachers previously posted to SISHK before making the move, but still found herself learning on the job once she arrived. Mr Lim had a similar experience. “I'll be honest, reading up is one thing, but coming here to teach, it is different,” he said. “I feel that as teachers and educators, we need to model the idea of continuous and lifelong learning.” SISHK principal Tony Low, who took the helm in December last year, described it as "a dream posting". He previously served as MOE's zonal director of schools in the east and was the principal of two secondary schools. “Having been in MOE for over 30 years and serving as a school leader for 20 years or so, it really offers a very unique vantage point for me to apply my experience in a fresh context,” said the 60-year-old. Posting periods typically last three years for teachers and around five years for those in leadership roles, with extensions possible based on operational needs. Accommodation and an overseas allowance for expenses and bills are provided by MOE. For the educators posted to SISHK, Hong Kong is quite a comfortable place due primarily to the Asian identity and culture, which they are familiar with. “Language-wise, initially I was worried because Cantonese is something that I'm really not good at,” said Ms Ong. Her fears were unfounded. In the school, English is primarily used for teaching, staff coordination and communicating with parents. She also now speaks a bit of Cantonese, picking up phrases related to directions and other basic words. “I believe in the power of local connections. To that end, I'm working on my Cantonese to ensure that I can engage even more authentically with the local community and with some of my operational staff here, like the cleaners,” said Mr Low. “Sometimes they are exchanging views in Cantonese. I want to join them and make them feel that I'm with them, so learning the language is important for me.” VALUE OF SINGAPOREANS ABROAD The educators say they bring a uniquely Singaporean perspective to education in their overseas stints. Mr Lim points to Character and Citizenship Education (CCE), which aims to nurture values such as respect, responsibility and resilience in students. “The idea of holistic and moral education is something that has played a huge part for us, both as a student, as well as in our training as teachers. And that is something very valuable that we are bringing here: the idea of how to be human,” he said. Singapore's mathematics and science curriculum is another draw, said Ms Ong. “The school (SISHK) uses this, and parents actually welcome this. In fact, some of them chose this school because we use the maths and science syllabus from Singapore.” She credits its appeal to a structured approach backed by clear teaching guides and resources. Mr Low said the benefits flow both ways. “It also provides our Singapore teachers that window of time for them to sharpen their skillsets and build their portfolio, and adds to their exposure and experience for them to then bring it back to Singapore,” he said. Education industry observers also told CNA that the teachers can bring back their experiences gained from their overseas stints to improve the education landscape when they eventually end their posting and return home. “The local Singapore education scene does benefit from the learning of these teachers who have been exposed to a different environment and context overseas,” said Mr Edmund Lin, principal consultant of Singapore Education Consulting Group. “For instance, Singapore educators can learn from good practices and useful ideas from Hong Kong when they are working with the SISHK.” Mr Michael Klemm, managing director of the Singapore Education Network, said that such overseas postings are beneficial, and even suggests that a minimum number of teachers across each Singapore school should do an overseas posting. “Teachers need to get out of the classroom and gain continued understanding of cultural, scientific, political and economic changes,” he said, adding that it is difficult to truly do so in a day-to-day teaching cycle here. Teachers who pursue overseas postings also benefit at a personal level, noted the observers. “The benefits for teachers include the enjoyable and enriching opportunities to experience life overseas, while pursuing their passion for teaching,” said Mr Lin. Such an arrangement allows them to eventually return to Singapore to continue their progress as educators seamlessly after their posting concludes, he said. Mr Klemm said that the development of MOE teachers should be supplemented by real-life experiences outside the school environment, including picking up new teaching methods beyond the MOE system. “MOE teachers, like all teachers, have the immense responsibility to teach students knowledge, but also skills to grow as a human, acquire new skills and knowledge as well as enhance understanding of processes and context in multiple areas,” he said. CHALLENGES THEY FACE Mr Lin noted that depending on the duration of the overseas posting, a teacher may need to adjust to changes locally that may have been enacted in their absence. “Being away from the Singapore system, even for about three years, would mean a teacher would have to readjust to the system when he or she returns, because the Singapore education system evolves in terms of policies and processes,” he said. A posting to an SAF location would also bring its own challenges, due to how different it is from a usual school set-up, said Mr Lin. “Teaching in a military base does not come with a typical school infrastructure that a teacher is familiar with, and there would be practices and protocols that he or she would need to get used to,” he said. The teachers in Hong Kong told CNA that they have had to adjust to the local education system and structure. For instance, the school’s academic year starts in mid-August and concludes end-June, which differs from Singapore’s January to December cycle. Mr Lim shared that for the subject he teaches, the assessment structure also differs from Singapore, with a coursework component instead of a single examination. “They get one year to craft their essays, so it’s about guiding them to write a good essay, rather than assessing their ability to write one in two hours,” he said. The SISHK’s international identity also adds a further foreign dimension to working there, with students and staff from multiple other countries, the educators told CNA. “Because they come from different backgrounds, there are different expectations from students and parents, so it's something that I need to also learn and understand better,” said Mr Low. The school currently has almost 2,000 students, from countries as far as Europe and Latin America, he added. As a department head, Ms Ong said she also has to standardise certain practices, such as curriculum planning, so that the lessons delivered to students are “consistent and good”. She has also learnt about the educational systems of other places, like Hong Kong, America and Canada, through interactions with colleagues.