Additional Remuneration for Personnel under Scheme for Relief Educators Who Work Beyond 5.5 Hours a Day

Mr David Hoe asked the Minister for Education (a) whether personnel under the Scheme for Relief Educators receive additional remuneration where assigned duties require work beyond 5.5 hours in a day; (b) how schools account for time spent on lesson preparation and marking; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider reviewing the remuneration framework to ensure assigned work is contained within paid hours.

Mr Desmond Lee: The Scheme for Relief Educators (SRE) is a casual employment scheme to support schools’ short-term manpower needs. Officers engaged under the SRE are not paid on an hourly basis. They are paid a daily wage if they work at least 5.5 hours per day or a half-daily wage if they work between 2.75 hours and 5.5 hours per day. As the remuneration is based on fixed daily or half-daily rates, no additional remuneration is paid where duties extend beyond 5.5 hours in a day.

Schools are guided to ensure that SREs' duties, including lesson preparation and marking, are commensurate with the half-day or full-day remuneration.

The Ministry of Education will continue to periodically review the remuneration of casual employment schemes such as the SRE to ensure they remain relevant and competitive.