QUALIFIED TEACHERS AND UNTRAINED RELIEF TEACHERS

Dr S. Vasoo asked the Minister for Education (a) what was the number of untrained relief teachers employed as at the latest convenient date; and (b) what steps are being taken to ensure that there are sufficient qualified teachers available besides the supply from the Institute of Education.

Dr Tay Eng Soon (for the Minister for Education): Mr Speaker, Sir, the number of untrained relief teachers as at January this year was 594, or between one and two relief teachers per school.

Our main shortage today is for teachers able to teach English, the Humanities, and Physical Education in secondary schools. Besides the Institute of Education, which is the main source of trained teachers for the Ministry, Physical Education teachers are trained at the College of Physical Education. This year 54 graduates from the College of Physical Education are expected to join the Education Service. Serving non-graduate teachers are encouraged to upgrade themselves through the Ministry's bursary schemes and through the grant of study leave to further their studies in degree courses relevant to the Ministry's needs. In 1986 about 60 serving teachers were given leave or bursaries to further their studies. Where necessary, the Ministry will also continue to recruit expatriate native speakers to teach English in our schools and junior colleges and to help in teaching specialized areas, for example, the Humanities Programme, the Art Elective Programme and the teaching of foreign languages.

Mr Chiam See Tong (Potong Pasir): How many expatriate teachers are there now employed by the Government in our schools?

Dr Tay Eng Soon: I do not have the exact figure with me, Sir, but the figure is around 150.

Mr Sia Khoon Seong (Moulmein): Mr Speaker, Sir, may I ask the Minister of State for Education whether this dependency on relief teachers will become worse, now that the Ministry of Finance has announced that very generous leave could be allowed for female officers in view of its present drive on procreation?

Is it not true that there are some 18,000 teachers in the Education Service today? And is it also not true that out of these 18,000 teachers about 60% are females? If that is the case, there would be about 10,000 female teachers. Now, assuming that out of these 10,000 female teachers, 30% are within the fertile age and that only one-third take advantage of this scheme, will not the problem of dependency on relief teachers be worsened by two-fold? So if the figure, as quoted by the Minister of State ---

Mr Speaker: Mr Sia, you are very long-winded in asking supplementary questions.

Dr Tay Eng Soon: I thank the Member for Moulmein for his question. We do not know what the impact of this new policy will be. We believe that if more women teachers become pregnant and have to take leave, more temporary vacancies may be created and therefore we have to recruit more relief teachers. If that does happen, I think it is in a sense a cause for rejoicing because this is something which we as a nation would like to see.

On the other hand, even today under present circumstances, we do have many teachers going on maternity leave and there will always be a need for relief teachers to cover these temporary vacancies. I believe we are able to cope with an exigency of that kind.

Mr Sia Khoon Seong: Mr Speaker, Sir, could I ask the Minister of State whether dependency on relief teachers would not negate all the efforts of the Ministry of Education towards excellence in schools? The problem, as it is, is bad enough. So ---

Mr Speaker: Mr Sia, would you allow the Minister to reply first?

Dr Tay Eng Soon: The Ministry intends to increase the intake for the Institute of Education. This has to be done progressively as we find more candidates who have the right qualities and qualifications to become teachers. But we are committed to increasing the intake for the Institute of Education and, in the course of time, the numbers of relief teachers will diminish.