The Workers’ Party MP highlights ongoing challenges facing educators beyond salary increases.
Workers’ Party Member of Parliament He Ting Ru (Sengkang GRC) stressed the critical importance of supporting teachers’ mental health in an Aug 20 Facebook post. She acknowledged that while the recent announcement of a pay increase for teachers is a positive step, there are additional measures needed to better support educators in their vital role of nurturing the next generation.
In her post, Ms. He shared a screenshot from an Aug 17 article in Today, where teachers expressed concerns that the pay hike does not address the “deeply rooted” issues of high stress levels and overwhelming workloads. Some teachers even voiced worries about keeping pace with inflation and the scheduled Goods and Services Tax (GST) increase.
As a mother of three young children, Ms. He reflected on how the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the challenges of teaching, especially for parents supervising home-based learning. She expressed gratitude for the committed teachers who go above and beyond to ensure her children’s happiness, development, and well-being.
“We owe it to our teachers to protect their mental health, while they in turn pour in much invisible labor to look after and impart precious knowledge and skills to our children,” she stated. Ms. He emphasized the need for ongoing discussions about these issues, including the administrative burdens teachers face.
Last September, Ms. He questioned the Minister for Education about whether schools adhere to the tripartite advisory on mental well-being for staff and if teachers have access to free or subsidized mental health consultations. She also inquired about the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) commitment to regularly publish details regarding risk assessments related to teachers’ mental health.
In response to her parliamentary question, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing affirmed that the “well-being of our school staff has always been of paramount importance.” He noted that counseling services are available for school staff as needed and that they are eligible for subsidized medical treatment, including mental health consultations and treatment, as part of the Civil Service medical benefits scheme.
