The Workers’ Party gave teachers a special shout-out on Friday (Sept 2), which is when Teachers’ Day is celebrated in SingaTeachers’ Daypore.
In a Facebook post, the WP expressed “our most heartfelt appreciation to all teachers,” adding “We recognise your loving sacrifices; you are unsung heroes.”
“Singaporeans owe a debt of gratitude to all teachers,” the party added.
The WP also recognised teachers as frontline workers who’ve had to come to work throughout the pandemic, except during the Circuit Breaker, as the work-from-home model many workers could take during the pandemic has not always been available to them.
“Instead, they showed up day after day, keeping students safe, making sure they complied with the ever-changing safe management guidelines, while also managing their regular workload of teaching, setting examination papers, marking, assessing, administration, counselling, motivating their students, and much more.”
Like many in Singapore, “many teachers are also in the sandwiched generation,” WP added, who have to balance work with caring for both ageing parents and their own children.
For teachers, their “occupational workload and their mental load have increased,” noted the WP, adding that “Singaporeans owe a debt of gratitude to all teachers, educators and school administrators who have taken care of our students while our nation battled the COVID-19 pandemic.”
WP Members of Parliament He Ting Ru and Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC) have spoken up on behalf of teachers in Parliament.
Ms He has advocated for better support for the mental health of teachers, as well as students, especially after the tragedy at River Valley High School last year, when one student was killed by another.
Assoc Prof Lim has proposed a decrease in class sizes for teachers to have a more manageable workload and to be able to focus better on individual students, as well as allied teachers for more challenging subjects such as mathematics and languages.
He also proposed different starting times for schooldays for primary and secondary pupils, after a study showed that 80 per cent of teenagers studying in popular schools suffer from sleep deprivation.
WP MPs Leon Perera and Gerald Giam (Aljunied GRC) shared the post saluting Singapore’s teachers.
“The Workers’ Party will continue to advocate for better support for our teachers so that they can bring their very best to their jobs,” wrote Mr Perera, while Mr Perera wished educators a Happy Teacher’s Day, adding “You make all the difference for our next generation, and we salute you.” /TISG
He Ting Ru: We owe it to our teachers to protect their mental health