25 Oct 2005

Title: Foreign Chinese language teachers chosen with due care to supplement our local pool

1. Ms Xiao Zhen ("Do we need to recruit CL teachers from China", WB Forum, 16/10) questioned why there was a need to recruit Chinese Language (CL) teachers from China instead of drawing from the local pool of Chinese Studies graduates.
2. We wish to reassure Ms Xiao Zhen that the Ministry of Education (MOE) welcomes local graduates with the necessary aptitude and CL qualifications to join the teaching profession. However, the number of local CL graduates is insufficient to meet the needs of our schools. For example, only about one third of about 60 local CL students who graduated from the National University of Singapore in 2004 have since joined the teaching profession. Furthermore, many of our serving CL teachers are in their 50s. As they retire, we will need to recruit younger officers in their place.
3. Our strategy is to increase the pool of local CL teachers and to supplement it with a small number of qualified foreign CL teachers. Besides helping to meet our demand for CL teachers, foreign CL teachers have contributed by introducing new perspectives and strategies in CL teaching here.
4. Foreign CL teachers are required to undergo a very stringent selection process before they are recruited. Besides reviewing their academic qualifications and language proficiency, we also look at their personal qualities such as their aptitude, adaptability and commitment. These are qualities that are essential for them to be effective CL teachers.

Lu Cheng Yang
Director, Personnel