Question for Australian expat teachers

[finnigan]

Thinking of applying for a teaching position at one of the International schools (both my husband & I). 'Roughly' what wages do general primary school teachers receive in Singapore. 

Also, have read a lot of negative comments about 'living in Singapore'on this site or have I just been unlucky enough to have found the negative expats ?  Is it 'generally' a good place to live in for say 3 years for a family of 4 ?
We're a pretty laid back family with mid-budget tastes & love to travel but don't want to go if it means living off the smell of an oilrag.

[Doing some research]

OK, maybe too many questions.......how about starting with.....what is a usual / average / primary school teachers wage in Singapore (at an international school) ?

[DEPENDS WHICH SCHOOL]

Basic Salary $6500 per month

Foreign Service Allowance $500 per month

Free schooling for your kids

Free Medical

Free trip home at end of each contract

Free Housing

20% gratuity each year

Discretionary Bonus at the end of the contract

I think that's about it!

[finnigan]

Thanks heaps for your info.  Very helpful.  It gives me a rough idea of what to expect.  Does anyone out there know of the better paying international schools (best packages).........Aust Int School..... American Int School ?

[searched?]

Thanks heaps for your info.  Very helpful.  It gives me a rough idea of what to expect.  Does anyone out there know of the better paying international schools (best packages).........Aust Int School..... American Int School ?

One quick look at the SAS (Singapore American School) website shows not only what positions they have open but also gives good details about salary and benefits for each position. Have you tried looking at the international school websites you would be interested in? You will almost certainly get much more accurate information from the schools themselves rather than an anonymous chat board.

[finnigan]

Yes of course I have looked at both web sites.  Aust Int School doesn't have pay scales listed (that I could find).  The American one does but they are so broad from between $33,000 - $69,000 !!!  So I was just interested if someone had their own info to share.

[excess]

You are big on excess punctuation, aren't you? Tell me you don't teach English and writing, please 

[finnigan]

Dear Mr Perfect.....Unnecessary smart comments like that just spoil the whole reason for this website where people are just trying to get some help / info not to get appraised on their grammar. 

[ignore the trolls]

Ignore those people - there are a few of them on this board unfortunately. In reality though, most expats here are really nice and are loving their time in Singapore. It's a fantastic place to live with a family.

[another teacher]

No, salaries are not generally advertised openly. (I'd be pretty mad if my school openly posted my salary and benefits like that...)

Obviously, depending on years of experience and levels of qualifications, teachers are placed somewhere on the scale. Very few schools hire anyone with less than two years experience, as a rule though.

As a general rule of thumb, the top payers (note: not necessarily the best places to work, or to send your kids...) are SAS, UWC, Tanglin, GESS, OFS. The other schools are a bit below these schools in salaries and benefits.

I think it comes down to where you want your kids to go as much as anything else. I know several teachers who are fairly happy in their jobs, but are not happy with the schooling situation for their kids for whatever reasons. If you've never been at international schools, you may find the lack of resources or funding quite a big change from state schools in Australia.

Good luck.

[kiwigirl22]

To the lady stressing about salaries.

Jobs will tell you your salary package if you are short listed.
If you are not shortlisted, they don't want you, so don't bother stressing about what that school pays.

If you want to go to a school that pays you alot, Singapore isn't the place to go. Places like Dhaka will pay alot MORE as not many people want to move there.

Singapore has competition, I being one of them. I'm single with NO children. I have no commitments and no ties. I'm want to move for the lifestyle, and the fact it pays better than in NZ is a bonus.

If you a moving for 3 year you need to think about more than just the upfront pay! Some of the things I'm looking at are the curriculum, if it is internationally recognised, the schools facilities, and the location of the school (how far from the cbd).

Hope this helps

[another teacher]

Singapore has competition, I being one of them. I'm single with NO children. I have no commitments and no ties. I'm want to move for the lifestyle, and the fact it pays better than in NZ is a bonus.

OMG. Do you actually live here yet? 

No, you are NOT competition. Being single and having no children is not actually seen as a good thing by many international schools. Single teachers tend to find it harder to settle in, get homesick more often and (because of their lack of commitments, as you just pointed out) are more likely to break contract.

On the other hand, teachers with families have a huge desire to see the school do well - their children are being educated there, after all. They are also more likely to stay longer than one contract as too many moves are unsettling. They tend to settle faster as they need to carve out their family lives and keep a semblance of normality... You see how a school would rather just pay the extra flights (which are only once a contract anyway) and absorb the cost of having a couple of kids in the school? Salaries are not higher for people with children, so the costs in some areas quickly outweigh the benefits. The only schools that prefer to hire young, single teachers are not the types of places most people would want to work (including young, single teachers, ironically) as they pay badly, treat their staff as disposable items and care only about saving money at all costs.

All the schools here are internationally recognised, and since the entire island is smaller by half than most New Zealand cities, the location really shouldn't sway your decision... Lots of people go overseas for the money, and there is money to be made in Singapore. A three year contract is a normal expat contract in many industries, and the money had better be good because Singapore changes on a dime and anything could happen in that length of time here - so you're way off the mark on that point too. The OP has every reason to be thinking about salaries. Do some research and you'll soon see that without a reasonable salary, this place doesn't have much in the way of 'lifestyle'.

The arrogance in your post is shocking. That will kill you in an interview in Asia. I'd be more concerned about than any of the other crap you mentioned.

Hope THAT helps. 

[here's hoping]

To the lady stressing about salaries.

Jobs will tell you your salary package if you are short listed.
If you are not shortlisted, they don't want you, so don't bother stressing about what that school pays.

If you want to go to a school that pays you alot, Singapore isn't the place to go. Places like Dhaka will pay alot MORE as not many people want to move there.

Singapore has competition, I being one of them. I'm single with NO children. I have no commitments and no ties. I'm want to move for the lifestyle, and the fact it pays better than in NZ is a bonus.

If you a moving for 3 year you need to think about more than just the upfront pay! Some of the things I'm looking at are the curriculum, if it is internationally recognised, the schools facilities, and the location of the school (how far from the cbd).

Hope this helps

I hope you're not an English teacher !

[Yet another teacher]

I agree with 'another teacher'.  The good schools actually prefer people with families.  The best scenario for them is a 'teaching couple', which is what the OP is.  There are a few schools that prefer single people - some such as Dover Court actually advertise for single people with no kids (That info may be out of date but it was certainly the case a few years ago) - but the schools with the best package and pay tend to shy away from the 'backpacker' type teacher who is just working his/her way around the world.

[various issues]

First, teachers salaries are not high relative to other expats. This generally is not an issue, fees and housing often paid.

Often though you make friends through kids schoolmatesn they will often have a lot more cash than you do. They won't rub your nose in it but you may struggle to accept some dinner invites.

That said, you'd be ok, kids get a sense of perspective and so do you. I'd say it is worth it but expect to be poor cousin to many of the people you meet (you won't be skint though).