TEACHER: I WORKED MY *SS OFF FOR ONLY 2MONTHS PERFORMANCE BONUS?!

For those of you who are considering joining the civil service as a teacher, think again and don't bother joining this bloated junk system.

For the majority of last year, I worked my *ss off, putting in hours to counsel students, organising CCA activities, covering my head of department during his absence. Although I admit I did this out of dedication to my students, but at the very least I expect to be well compensated for the loss of my time with family and the depreciation in my health.

I fell ill twice as many times in the last year, but I still did not take any medical leave, except for the time when I was really ill with severe diarrhea.

What did the civil service gift me with this week? A big fat C grade for my performance. That entitles me to a total of two months of pay for all of my hard work.

This is a rip off and travesty to all teachers out there who slog our guts out in the hopes of providing a better tomorrow for our own children. Do the higher management in the school board and Ministry understand the sacrifices that teachers have to make by waking up at unearthly hours and leaving school only when the sky is dark? Or do they just sit in their comfortable offices and nod approvingly while their "slave labour" do all the work?

I missed out time with my children and wife, did work that no other teacher wanted to do and for what? The two months bonus can hardly even cover some of my regular medical bills.

If this continues, teachers like myself are just going to end up becoming disillusion and demotivated. Why work so hard when all you get is two months worth of pay which can barely even afford us a short trip to the Maldives? The hours we work could probably earn us much more in the finance and banking sectors.

So if you're a young teacher expecting a bright career in the teaching service, here's your advice. Stay far, far away.

Disgruntled & Angry
A.S.S. Contributor