14 Nov 05

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

1. Ms Yan Li Zhen (“Why forgo what is close at hand and seek from afar?”, SM Forum, 22/10) asked why the Ministry of Education (MOE) does not tap on local talent but chooses to recruit Chinese Language (CL) teachers from China.
2. We wish to assure Ms Yan that MOE welcomes local graduates with the necessary aptitude and CL qualifications to join the teaching profession. However, the demand for CL teachers is greater than the local pool of qualified applicants. For example, only about one third of about 60 local CL students who graduated from the National University of Singapore in 2004 have joined the teaching profession. Furthermore, many of our serving CL teachers are in their 50s. As they retire, we will need younger officers to be recruited in their place.
3. Our strategy is to increase the pool of local CL teachers while supplementing 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 consider their personal qualities such as aptitude, adaptability and commitment. These are essential qualities for them to be effective CL teachers.

Lu Cheng Yang
Director, Personnel