Singapore to add more than 1,000 educators annually, up from 700

Over the next few years, Singapore will hire more than 1,000 new educators annually to strengthen the teaching fraternity, Education Minister Desmond Lee said on July 9.

- Syarafana Shafeeq

This is up from about 700 teachers recruited a year previously.

Overall, the number of teachers in Singapore has fallen due to a slowdown in recruitment, dropping from 33,378 in 2016 to 30,396 in 2023. This is due to smaller cohort sizes.

The Education Ministry has not released the figure for 2024. The ministry said in a statement on July 9 that its hiring strategy supports long-term workforce sustainability and talent acquisition.

This includes hiring in anticipation of more retirements in the coming years as the teaching workforce ages, in line with national workforce trends, it added.

Speaking at the annual Teachers' Investiture Ceremony at the National Institute of Education (NIE) in Nanyang Technological University, Mr Lee said: "Through the years, we have built a committed and high-quality teaching force to ensure that every child has the opportunity to realise his or her potential, regardless of starting point in life."

The education system must do more than keep pace with rapid and fundamental changes, he said, from advancements in artificial intelligence to climate change, to social media platforms transforming the way young people communicate.