MOE on track to hire over 1,000 teachers as applications rise

Singapore is on track to recruit more than 1,000 new educators in 2025, with half of the applicants coming from mid-career backgrounds.

- Elisha Tushara Correspondent

Successful untrained applicants will undergo a school stint to assess their suitability for teaching before enrolling in the National Institute of Education's Postgraduate Diploma in Education teacher training programme. They will be posted to schools after completing their training.

(ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM)

The Ministry of Education (MOE) said there has been an increase in teacher applications over the last three years. However, it did not give details on how many teachers have been hired.

Education Minister Desmond Lee said in July that Singapore will ramp up teacher hiring over the next few years, from about 700 teachers recruited a year previously to more than 1,000 annually.

There were 29,605 teachers in 2024, compared with 30,396 in 2023, according to the latest publicly available figures.

In response to queries from The Sunday Times, MOE said it has a “rigorous” recruitment process to identify suitable candidates for the teaching profession.

Shortlisted applicants for the Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) teacher training programme usually receive interview invitations within three to four weeks after applications close.

All untrained teaching applicants are required to conduct a lesson presentation as part of the structured interview process.