Teachers from India join S'pore schools
-
b2b3m4:
I have friends in talent recruitment companies. She gave examples of how singaporeans reject jobs bcos of location (stay in Yishun & job in Shenton Way), new graduates who reject bcos they dun get their own office or in air conditioned offices. Young graduates who quit on me in less than 3 mths as a executive bcos she sees fixing jammed printers and handling complaints deeming to her and no prospects (in her own words).ppnqq:
I have heard ppl complaining that they went for the interviews but were rejected because most of these companies prefer foreigners, which they claimed it's cheaper.
Singaporeans not willing to take up jobs which were offered mostly to the foreigners? We know the answer but the govt felt otherwise. They should mingle with the public and the ppl from the lower to mid income more often to see and have a feel of what kind of life we are having and what are the real problems that we are facing. They should see for themselves if what they claimed are true! :x
I agree that most of the younger generation, especially those who are highly educated, yes but not all.
How many of us wants to be factory ladies, cleaners, constructions workers, helpers in food centres or mum & pa shops, bus drivers etc. Even drop outs avoid jobs like this and prefer very much to work in air
conditioned areas in shopping malls.
Not true at all. At least for those whom I know, this is definitely not the case. I know of so many, especially those who are 40yo and above, they lost the jobs to foreigners.
A very practical scenario : If you already do not have enough food for yourself or the family, can you still afford to be fussy? Can those, who do not have any children to support them, afford to be fussy? They would be more than happy to get a job, at least a job that is able to fill their hunger.
It is just like us why we mothers employ foreign maids even though they gave us so much trouble!!!!
Not all, probably just you and a small handful. We used to have maids too, true. But we decided not to have any more because like what you have mentioned, they are indeed a pain in the neck. We engaged maids to help lessen our burden, not to add on, so why should i still get one when it is going to add on to our problems and burden instead of relieving it?
Not everyone are so dependent on maids, without them, it is like the world is almost coming to an end. I know of some who are such. They keep complaining about their maids, regardless of the numbers they have changed but they still want the maid. I also do not understand why they cannot just hire a local part-time helper but insist on having foreign maids. This, probably you can help to answer because we are not dependent on foreign maids.
Not because we have family members who can help to look after our children. We also do not have anyone to depend on. We also face problem when ccc closes or when our children are sick. But still, these are small headaches compared to those big and long term headaches that many maids are giving. I also have friends who thought they would 'die' without one but after my analysis and encouragement, they tried and now they are so much happier compared to the time when they had maids. Of course, we, may be the minority.
Btw, not all maids are bad, some are really very good.
No offence to anyone. Just simply voicing out my own opinion and experiences. -
ppnqa,
I do not have a maid either. U can read all about how i cope as a FTWM with 3 dds, 2, 5 and 7 years with no other family members to help on the thread - All About Life Without Maids. I am just sharing the many problems that the mothers are facing with maids and we are all know it is a major problem in Singapore.
I have also always asked myself why one won’t grab any job available when one is about to starved. But neither can we explained why so many ‘dirty’ jobs are still left unfilled. The 40s, their jobs have been taken over. Ever asked why? They can’t expect doing the same thing they have been doing the last 20 overs years and not wanting to undergo improvement / training or take up additional responsibilities / tasks and still expect the same yearly increment and bonuses. The govt offers free training PLUS transport allowances PLUS free meals for unemployed Singaporeans. After training, they are assigned suitable jobs. At the end of it all, many quitted and come back for more free courses. Why?
In many voluntary welfare homes i helped out, ever wonder why we do not give out NTUC vouchers and cash. They are so much more welcomed by everybody than these rice, milk cartons, instant noodles we need to arrrange logistically and carry. At the end of the day, even when starved, when given money or vouchers, people still want to choose to buy chips, sweets and all other unnecessary things. When starved, I have people who tells me they can’t give up their handphones. At the end of the day, no one in singapore starved to death and everyone is still very selective of what they want to do. Hold the same job with the same pay, u and i know that is very difficult in our advanced society. -
b2b3m4:
Ok, I am ready to be bashed. I prefer to see things on the other side of the fence. If it had been a Australian , Briton or Scottish with a strong accent teaching our kids, would we be protesting so much? Or would we see that it is privileged to be taught by these teachers???
Yes, ang mo is not equal to good English speaker! I personally have met quite a few ang mo who English is worst than my Singlish.
-
b2b3m4:
I would love to take local Singaporeans. However, I can only afford to pay $800+ a month. I need a maid at home from 7am to 9pm everyday, due to my hectic work schedule. When my kids were babies, I need a maid 24 hours a day, because I could not wake up in the night to take care of them, and still go to work in the morning.
It is just like us why we mothers employ foreign maids even though they gave us so much trouble!!!! In this instance we are employers ourselves, why didnt we take local singaporeans??? Getting Singaporeans, we no longer need to put with culture shock, miscommunications, funny accents or can't communicate at all.
I don't think I can find any Singaporean maid to work for me.
Anyway, I am not trying to argue with you, just telling you the problems that I am facing. I am quite sick of employing foreign maids and I welcome Singaporean maids anytime, if anyone is willing to work for me for $800+ a month, 6 days a week.
I totally agree with you that Singaporeans are very selective of what they want to do. In fact, my observation is that some Singaporeans would rather kill themselves than do some lowly jobs. For example, a couple of years ago, a man committed suicide by jumping onto the MRT tracks. When his wife told news reporters that he killed himself because of poverty, she received large amounts of money from public donations. After that, I heard rumours of quite a few cases of copycat suicides on the MRT track, supposedly other men think that they could also get so much donations for their families. However, the news stopped reporting on such cases and the public was not aware of it. -
Tamarind,
I totally understand your situation. After numerous problems with maids. I quitted my previous job in the hospital bcos I simply I can’t put in the kind of hours required in the hospital when DD2 came along. Shift works, night calls and all. In the end, I traded my exciting hosipital work for a more office hours one. And in replacement, my boss took in philipinos to do the job. A case of foreign talent replacing singaporeans in a job? -
tamarind:
In fact, my observation is that some Singaporeans would rather kill themselves than do some lowly jobs. For example, a couple of years ago, a man committed suicide by jumping onto the MRT tracks. When his wife told news reporters that he killed himself because of poverty, she received large amounts of money from public donations. After that, I heard rumours of quite a few cases of copycat suicides on the MRT track, supposedly other men think that they could also get so much donations for their families. However, the news stopped reporting on such cases and the public was not aware of it.
The english newspaper does not report but the WanBao do report this type of news quite regularly. During the 2008 financial crisis, an ah-mah near my block jumped... apparently nobody in her family wanted to take care of her and she was the cause of several arguments within the family. Hence decided to stop being an \"inconvenience\". I think Wanbao mentioned it but no a single peep from ST. I guess they wanted to keep morale up.
In terms of suicide, the person would probably be going through quite a number of issues that affect their mental state. I can't make the same observation that people will kill themselves rather than doing lowly jobs. I don't think the first guy did it for the money. And for the follow-ons, it makes their pain and distress no less. T
Also, in defense of my fellow SGs, I remember a couple of incidences in the US, where people shot their entire families before killing themselves when they knew they lost all their wealth. Thankfully, we don't have such cases, at least not over money... :roll:
Actually for that $800/month, 6 days a week, mention that room and board is provided and also medical fees is insured, along with $5K bond in case they get into any \"trouble\". Economically, its not that bad a deal. Don't forget they can rent out their rooms once they move in with you. Thats extra income. I don't think it is impossible to hire a Singaporean once you explain the economics of it. I see some local cleaners getting $1k or less... Being a $800 maid makes so much more sense. I think in time to come, people will take your offer. I bet you that ah mah would have loved to get the job!
b2b3m4:
In regards to the accent, the point is if there are people willing to be teachers, why are these jobs going to foreigners, be they black, white, red or green? And the point is these are well paying jobs, not the so called \"dirty\" jobs. BTW, as long as its an honest living, there is no dirty jobs. Many times, the real dirty jobs pay really well but thats a side issue.
Can you share your sources where you get these information? I don't see the same scenarios which you pointed out personally or hear such stories. For the people in the 40s, my understanding is they are happy to retain their jobs even at the same payscale. Their kids are right in the middle of their education, so these people tend to be less flighty in job hopping. -
[quote]
Actually for that $800/month, 6 days a week, mention that room and board is provided and also medical fees is insured, along with $5K bond in case they get into any \"trouble\". Economically, its not that bad a deal. Don't forget they can rent out their rooms once they move in with you. Thats extra income. I don't think it is impossible to hire a Singaporean once you explain the economics of it. I see some local cleaners getting $1k or less... Being a $800 maid makes so much more sense. I think in time to come, people will take your offer. I bet you that ah mah would have loved to get the job! [/quote]If it is really that easy, then there will not be 190000 foreign maids in Singapore.
My mother used to work as a cleaner in an office, she would rather do that than work as a maid in a family. She can go home after 5pm. Remember that I needed a maid 24 hours when my kids were babies, 7am to 9pm now that they are in lower primary. Don't tell me that I can send the maid home after 5pm, my work often requires me to work until 9pm, and then wake up at 5am to work again.
My mother's elder sister, 70+ years old, is now working in a food court, collecting dishes. I asked my mother whether her sister would like to work for me, my mother said that her sister would rather collect dishes than work as a maid.
Also, many families require maids to take care of elderly who are bedridden and need to be carried to the toilet to bathe. Can ah mah do that ?
As for the man who jumped onto the MRT track and wife collected large amounts of public donations, I read the interviews with the wife and it was very clear to me that he did so because he did not want to take on lowly jobs, and also because his wife complained that about not enough money.
The newspapers stopped reporting specifically on people committing suicide on the MRT tracks, because that is more sensational than people committing suicide by jumping off flats. -
Does MOE pay the same salary for people who have worked for many years , but no teaching experience? I had to accept a major pay cut when i changed to teaching a few years ago. Now that the economy is doing well , its not surprising that locals prefer other jobs.
-
I think the economics of being a maid will eventually shift people's mindset. The economic viability of being a maid is probably under-rated? Nothing all that much to do with being ah mahs etc. There are people out there who will work for not much money, case in point the ah mah who would rather work in a food court.
From what i understand, he was already a construction worker. For a man to abandon his wife and 2 sons because he does not want to do lowly jobs... It stretches my realm of credibility although stranger things have happened
:?
As economic reality sets in, i think people do adjust. Its hard to pit one's ego against an empty bank account and with kids looking at you asking \"Whats up?\". In a macabre Darwinian evolution, Singaporeans will not remain all that \"soft\". The jumpers will jump so all that remains eventually are people willing to take on dirty jobs. The question is as a society or a person, are we willing to let things go to that extent?
I actually made some inquiries to the teaching profession (kiasu, have to prepare for my 40s!). You get paid a nominal salary during the NIE year and then start from a normal salary. I.E. if you are a graduate, expect $2k+. Thats from a worst/base case scenario. Maybe there are people who can get more if they are doing something related to the subjects they teach?
But $2k+ is decent. For people earning $20k+ in the past, you just have to adapt. Don't worry about people looking down on you etc... if they do, they are not worth knowing. (Sorry, digressed a little bit) -
daddybear:
I think you under-estimated how tough it is to be a maid. The job is physically demanding, that is why many employers don't even want foreign maids that are over 40 years old.I think the economics of being a maid will eventually shift people's mindset. The economic viability of being a maid is probably under-rated? Nothing all that much to do with being ah mahs etc. There are people out there who will work for not much money, case in point the ah mah who would rather work in a food court.
From what i understand, he was already a construction worker. For a man to abandon his wife and 2 sons because he does not want to do lowly jobs... It stretches my realm of credibility although stranger things have happened
:?
As economic reality sets in, i think people do adjust. Its hard to pit one's ego against an empty bank account and with kids looking at you asking \"Whats up?\". In a macabre Darwinian evolution, Singaporeans will not remain all that \"soft\". The jumpers will jump so all that remains eventually are people willing to take on dirty jobs. The question is as a society or a person, are we willing to let things go to that extent?
I actually made some inquiries to the teaching profession (kiasu, have to prepare for my 40s!). You get paid a nominal salary during the NIE year and then start from a normal salary. I.E. if you are a graduate, expect $2k+. Thats from a worst/base case scenario. Maybe there are people who can get more if they are doing something related to the subjects they teach?
But $2k+ is decent. For people earning $20k+ in the past, you just have to adapt. Don't worry about people looking down on you etc... if they do, they are not worth knowing. (Sorry, digressed a little bit)
As for the construction worker, it is still considered higher calibre than collecting dishes at a food court, right ? Also, I remember that in an interview with the wife, she said that she could get financial aid from the government, but she had no money to take taxi to go and collect the money. Many people wondered why she could not take the bus. It is strange indeed.
I used to have an ex-colleague in his 40s, university graduate in engineering, worked as a manager before. He was desperate to get a job, applied to MOE, but was rejected. His results in university were very good. I don't really understand what sort of people MOE are looking for.
Have you read the famous Derek Wee's blog ?
http://derekwee.blogspot.com/2006_10_01_archive.html
Hello! It looks like you're interested in this conversation, but you don't have an account yet.
Getting fed up of having to scroll through the same posts each visit? When you register for an account, you'll always come back to exactly where you were before, and choose to be notified of new replies (either via email, or push notification). You'll also be able to save bookmarks and upvote posts to show your appreciation to other community members.
With your input, this post could be even better 💗
Register Login