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SINGAPORE – Special education school (SPED) teachers will have more room to advance their careers through two new avenues in teaching and leadership.
New employees will also go through a contract teaching period and a longer diploma program at the National Institute of Education (NIE).
These were among the plans laid out on Wednesday (September 2) by Minister of State for Education Sun Xueling, along with new career and training guidelines, to raise the standards of Sped’s teaching profession and make it more attractive.
In a November 2018 review of human resource practices in the SPED teaching sector, the Ministry of Education (MOE) found that the existing professional frameworks vary across the 19 SPED schools funded by the government and run by 12 SPED agencies. social services.
More than 70 percent of SPED teachers and the social service agencies that run the schools were consulted for their views.
These schools provide personalized support for 6,600 students with moderate to severe special needs, such as autism and multiple disabilities.
At a virtual awards ceremony on Wednesday, Ms. Sun said the last HR review for Sped teachers took place in 2007.
Since then, there has been a steady increase in the number of students with autism spectrum disorder, he added. To cater for the increased enrollment, the Ministry of Education intends to establish seven more SPED schools in the next seven years.
The MOE study also found that Sped teachers wanted more clearly defined job roles and responsibilities. There are currently around 1,550 teachers in Sped’s schools.
“In the coming years, we anticipate that the SPED profession will be a more attractive career with diverse job opportunities for teachers,” the Ministry of Education said Wednesday.
Salaries will also be revised from time to time to match teachers’ competencies and to ensure market competitiveness, he added.
Ms. Sun said: “I know and feel deeply that as professionals, Sped teachers need and deserve a professional framework and salary structure commensurate with the highest demands in teaching as they meet the complex learning needs of our students. “.
She added: “A hallmark of special education is the need for a highly personalized curriculum with individualized educational and transition plans. To develop and execute such plans, we need very observant and agile teachers. ”
As part of the push to improve SPED’s teaching sector, a new career roadmap will introduce two tracks, leadership and teaching, with more tracks for progression.
This means that at some stage in their careers, SPED teachers who show potential and are interested in higher positions can indicate which path they want to be on.
To provide more role clarity and progression possibilities, there will be more tiers for classroom teachers, including lead teachers and senior teachers. Those who choose the teaching path will focus on leadership in teaching and learning and mentoring their peers. Currently, those positions vary between schools.
For those who choose the path of leadership, their roles include developing educational goals, leading the planning of school-based curricula and programs, and developing teachers for higher roles.
The Ministry of Education has also developed a framework to define the knowledge and skills required for each job, along with a training roadmap for learning and development opportunities.
To gain more practical experience, new Sped teachers will also go through a contract teaching period lasting six to 12 months, prior to pursuing a Special Education Diploma (DISE) at NIE. Currently, there is no such practice period for Sped teachers.
The teaching period will begin in January next year, while the diploma course will run from its current nine months to 12 months in 2022.
Ms. Sun said: “To help schools recruit, develop and manage new Sped teacher recruits, the Ministry of Education will also provide funding during the contract teaching period, as well as the allocation for teachers during their course of DISE “.
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