Special education teachers to get pay rise of up to 12%, teacher aides' salaries to increase

SINGAPORE: Teachers and teacher aides in special education, or SPED, schools will see their salaries rise starting this year, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said on Monday (Mar 4). 

Teachers will get a pay raise of up to 12 per cent while teacher aides will receive up to a 15 per cent increase. The government will raise its funding to the schools in phases, and the salary increase will be implemented between 2024 and 2026.

By 2026, SPED teachers can expect their monthly salary to range from S$3,000 (US$2,200) to over S$7,000. For teacher aides, this will range from S$2,000 to over S$4,000. 

From this year, starting salaries for these teachers will also climb by up to 15 per cent and those of teacher assistants by up to 17 per cent. 

The minimum education requirement for SPED teachers is A-Levels or a diploma. Those who do not have special education training must first undertake a teaching stint in a SPED school then attend a diploma programme in special education, which is fully funded by the government.

Depending on their experience and skills, their monthly starting salary – before the SPED diploma programme – will be up to S$3,600, the Education Ministry said. This is an increase from between S$2,620 and S$3,120 now.

SPED schools are recommended to increase their teachers’ salaries upon completion of the diploma programme to recognise their upgraded skills and qualifications, said the ministry. 

Teacher aides can expect a starting salary of up to S$2,100 a month, compared with S$1,720 now. They are not required to attend the diploma programme. 

As of December 2023, about 36,000 students in Singapore have special education needs. About 20 per cent, or 8,000, are in SPED schools. 

“The changes and the announcements this year reflect our efforts to not just recognise but also retain good manpower in SPED,” the ministry said. 

It also said it is trying to narrow the gap in starting salaries between SPED teachers who have degrees and those with diplomas. There are close to 1,700 teachers across 25 SPED schools, and more than half of them are degree holders.

To meet students' needs, MOE is looking to increase the number of SPED teachers by 350 by 2030. 

The salary enhancements will vary depending on individuals’ prevailing salaries, as well as their experience, competencies, job roles and work performance, said Second Minister for Education Maliki Osman in parliament on Monday.

SPED FEES TO DECREASE

As announced in the 2024 Budget statement, the government will reduce the maximum monthly fees at special education schools to S$90 from S$150 now. 

About half of SPED school students currently pay fees similar to students in mainstream schools. 

The nine SPED schools that serve students with autism spectrum disorder and multiple disabilities, which charge higher fees, will further reduce their fees by up to 60 per cent by mid-2025. This will benefit about 3,500 Singaporean students, said MOE in its press release. 

The nine schools are AWWA School @ Napiri, both Eden School campuses, Pathlight School, all three Rainbow Centre campuses, as well as both St Andrew’s Autism School and St Andrew’s Mission School. 

The schools will determine the fees and inform parents when ready, the ministry said.

Fee caps at all special student care centres will also be lowered to reduce families' out-of-pocket expenses.

The government spends more on education per child in a SPED school compared with a mainstream school, said Dr Maliki.