Relook hiring policy, MOE (Ang Kok Siang, Today, 16/2, p20)

ACTING Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong and NTUC chief Lim Swee Say have mentioned time and again in their speeches to employers about fair employment practices and employing people based on merit.

However, the Ministry of Education (MOE), for some reason, has in place a policy of employing only ex-Mindef or Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) uniformed officers for the post of school operations managers.

Why have this discriminatory policy? If we are serious about helping retrenched mid-career workers, than certainly such a policy adopted by the MOE goes against the grain of fair employment.

Mindef and MHA uniformed officers are shielded from any economic downturn and do not face the threat of retrenchment. Uniformed officers’ careers are secure based on their contractual tenure. Why then do they continue to enjoy the privilege of employment with MOE as operations managers when their employment contracts expire or when they retire, usually after receiving a large payout in gratuity bonus?

Based on the job requirements and descriptions from the MOE website, many mid-career male Singaporeans are equally or more than qualified and experienced to work as operations managers, but cannot do so because of the restriction.

In fact many mid-career male Singaporeans have held leadership and supervisory positions as senior non-commissioned officers/ officers while doing their two-and-a-half years’ National Service followed by another 10 to 13 years as reservists.

It’s about time the MOE consider revoking this policy of employing only ex-Mindef or MHA uniformed officers as school operations managers, as many mid-career male Singaporeans do possess better and relevant transferable skills gained from the private sector. Most of them have very good communication, problem-solving and social skills acquired from the corporate world, which is more relevant and practical in dealing with the general maintenance of discipline, than those acquired regimental style from the uniformed groups.

I have nothing against ex-Mindef or MHA uniformed officers working as operations managers in our schools upon their retirement.

It’s just that in view of the high unemployment numbers of mid-career professionals, every eligible Singaporean or Permanent Resident should be given a chance to apply for a position based on merit, as strongly advocated by our ministers.