Singapore may be going through an economic slowdown with increasing unemployment, but there are some sectors that are still resilient such as education, said Education Services Union (ESU) Advisor Halimah Yacob during its 10th anniversary dinner on 14 October 2016 at the Mandarin Orchard Hotel.
Mdm Halimah added: “Your sector, particularly in the area of early childhood (EC) education, continues to see strong demand.”
With childcare places growing to 40,000 since 2013, Singapore is expected to need 20,000 early childhood educators by 2020. Mdm Halimah, who was guest of honour at the event, reiterated the Government’s focus of expanding the EC sector by announcing the Early Childhood Manpower Plan on 1 October 2016.
With the growth of the EC sector, Mdm Halimah commended ESU’s relevance by progressing in tandem since it was established in 2006.
Growing Membership
With 24,000 members, ESU represents workers from four sectors – universities, early childhood, international schools and private education institutions. This is a far cry from its humble beginnings of just 4,400 members.
Its representation has grown to include five in eight private education workers represented today, up from three in eight when it started. The number of branches has also increased from six to 30 today, with two professional chapters.
President of ESU Calista Geraldine Roch said even though the union have achieved much in the past decade, it will continue to work hard. She added: “At ESU, we remain committed to help our teachers succeed, and championing for better pay, image and professional development opportunities.”
Source: NTUC This Week
