DAILY-RATED EMPLOYEES IN SCHOOLS (Emplacement on monthly-rated terms)

Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon asked the Minister for Home Affairs and Education (a) how many daily-rated employees there are in the various schools, giving breakdown figures according to the different categories of posts; and (b) if his Ministry will consider taking steps to convert such employees to monthly-rated employees.

The Senior Minister of State for Education (Mr Chai Chong Yii) (for the Minister for Home Affairs and Education): Mr Speaker, Sir, there are altogether 14 daily-rated employees currently deployed to the schools. Of these, eight are unskilled workmen: seven deployed in primary schools and one in a secondary school. The other six daily-rated employees are watchmen, of whom three are in primary schools and three in secondary schools. Unskilled workmen are normally employed on daily-rated terms not only in the Ministry of Education but also in other Government Ministries and departments. The question of emplacing them on monthly-rated terms is one that would therefore have to be considered in relation to the Government service as a whole and not only in relation to the Education Ministry. In the case of the six daily-rated watchmen, however, they have been employed on such terms temporarily and may be considered for emplacement on monthly-rated terms subsequently.

Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon (Tiong Bahru): (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I agree with the Minister of State's answer that in other Government departments there are also daily-rated workers. But in the case of daily-rated workers in schools it is different because they have longer holidays. Being daily-rated workers, they are not paid during the long holidays. I would like to ask the Minister of State whether he would consider giving the daily-rated workers some other work to do during the school vacation.

Mr Chai Chong Yii: Mr Speaker, Sir, it is true that the daily-rated workers sometimes have nothing to do during the school vacation. But we do try to give them whatever jobs there are, possibly in schools. But unfortunately, it is not always possible, especially during the long vacation. Their number in schools is fairly small.