Part-Time Scheme

Teachers on part-time scheme will adhere to the following Teacher Deployment Guidelines.

There are 2 PTES Options of ½ and 4/5 Workload at SSS, with the general scope set out below.

Individual PTES arrangements are based on the following 3 principles set out by MOE:

Schools can continue to uphold their duty of care to students who are in school.

• If students are in school, duty of care requires officers to be present in school as well.

Students’ learning outcomes are not compromised.

• Implementation of FWA should be done in ways that do not negatively affect students’ learning.

SLs continue to have operational flexibility and autonomy to make localised decisions that meet the needs of their school.

• Not possible to have a “one size fits all” approach that meets operating needs of all schools.

• SLs should continue to decide how FWA can be implemented in ways which are operationally feasible for the school.

SSS Requisite Duty for all teachers (Full-Time, FAJTs, CAJTs, PTES):

Pre-Flagraising Duty of Care in Classroom as co-FT or supporting teacher

Individual customisation includes requisite duties as well as trade-offs among additional inclusions of curriculum-load / FT-ship / committee-work / after-school programmes / hours et cetera, based on school needs and teacher's needs.

The following is taken from Intranet on the PTES, correct as or 1 March 2023.

Please always refer to the Intranet site for the most updated information.

Part-Time Employment Scheme (From MOE Intranet)

https://intranet.moe.gov.sg/hronline/EO/BenefitsandWelfare/FlexibleWorkArrangementsMOEHQ/Part-time-Employment-Scheme/pages/default.aspx

The Part-Time Employment Scheme (PTES) provides you with greater flexibility in managing your work and other commitments.

Eligibility

Officers from all staff groups in schools and MOE HQ up to (and inclusive of) the appointment as stated in the table below are eligible to apply for PTES.

Staff Groups Officers holding appointments up to:

AEDs Master AEDs

EAS Administration Managers in schools/Language Centres, or Section Head-equivalent appointments in HQ

EOs Key Personnel (KP) appointments in schools/Language Centres, or Senior Specialist Level 2, Master Teacher and Section Head-equivalent appointments in MOE HQ

MKEs Deputy Centre Heads and MK Lead Teacher

Note

Officers employed on permanent establishment must be confirmed in service (i.e. not on probation) before they are eligible to apply for PTES.
Foreign teachers are not eligible to apply for PTES regardless of whether they are on Local General Contract (LGC) or Foreign Expatriate Contracts [e.g. Foreign General, Foreign Specialist (Intermediate) and Foreign Specialist Contracts].
KP refers to Head of Department, School Staff Developer, Year Head, Lead Teacher, Subject Head, Level Head and Senior Teacher appointments.

Features

Application categories

You may apply for PTES in any of the following categories:

PTES application categories Corresponding application categories in the HR and Payroll (HRP) Portal

Childcare Child-Care

Caregiving needs for family members1 Family Commitment

Pursuing studies in a relevant area of study2 Pursue Study

Medical conditions Medical/Health

Re-employment3 Re-employment

1 Include spouse, parents (including step-parents and in-laws), siblings, grandparents and grandchildren.

2 Course of study should be relevant to officers’ career with MOE.

3 As part of the re-employment and contract renewal process, HR will seek input on the agreed part-time workload option between the retiring/re-employed officers and his/her Principal/Branch Head. As such, there is no need for retiring/re-employed officers to submit a PTES application in these scenarios. However, re-employed officers changing to a part-time arrangement in the midst of their contract need to submit a PTES application and apply under the 'Re-employment' category.

Workload Options

You may opt for one of the following workload options under PTES:

Workload Options for officers on School Holidays Scheme

For officers on Vacation Leave Scheme

These workload options can be translated into:

2/5 Workload

Approximately 17 hours per week

1/2 Workload

Approximately 21 hours per week

3/5 Workload

Approximately 25 hours per week

4/5 Workload

Approximately 34 hours per week

Duration of Part-time Arrangement

You are required to discuss and mutually agree on the duration of your part-time arrangement with your Principal/Branch Head prior to submitting the PTES application in the 'Part-time Application' tile in the HRP portal.

For officers on School Holidays Scheme, the duration of part-time work arrangement should generally be in blocks of school semesters (e.g. one semester, two semesters) and aligned to the end of the school holiday period to minimise disruption to school operations. If the application is for Semester 1, the start date of the work arrangement should be 1st Jan of that year and the end date should be the last day of the Jun holidays. If the application is for Semester 2, the start date of the work arrangement should be the first day of Term 3 and the end date should be 31st Dec of that year.

Note

Applications that fall outside the application categories must be endorsed by Principal/Branch Head before being routed to HR for assessment and approval.
All PTES applications are subject to exigencies of service and is dependent on the organisation’s manpower needs. It shall not be taken that applications which fall within the application categories and workload options will be automatically approved.
The duration of part-time work arrangement is typically approved up to blocks of 2 school semesters (or ~1 year). The Approving Authority may approve a longer period if there are strong reasons to do so.

Timeline

You are required to submit your application in advance and adhere to the timeline in the table below to facilitate the part-time work arrangement. Late applications without valid grounds will not be considered.

Staff Groups Application Period Commencement Date

Eligible officers on the School Holidays Scheme By 31 Mar of the year Start of Semester 2 of the same year

By 30 Sep of the year Start of Semester 1 of the following year

Eligible officers on the Vacation Leave Scheme At least 3 months before part-time employment starts At least 3 months after application date

Note

The above timeline for PTES application is not applicable to retiring/re-employed officers due for re-employment/re-employment contract renewal as HR will seek inputs from the school/HQ branch on the agreed part-time workload option (if any) as part of the re-employment and contract renewal process. Officers are only required to submit a PTES application online via the HRP Portal during the stated application period if you wish to change to a different part-time workload option in the midst of your contract, and may apply under the "Re-employment" category.

Procedures

Application for PTES is available online via the 'Part-time Application' tile in the HR and Payroll (HRP) portal. The procedure for submission of PTES applications is as follows:

1. Officers should discuss with your Principal/Branch Head on your part-time work arrangement.

2. Submit your PTES application online via the HRP portal under the 'Part-time Application' tile after reading the terms and conditions of PTES.

3. PTES applications within the list of application categories and workload options will be routed to Principal/Branch Heads for approval.

4. PTES applications outside the list of application categories or workload options will be routed to Principal/Branch Head for support before they are routed to HR for approval.

Please refer to the PTES Quick Reference Guide (HRP portal>Support Materials>Employee e-Services> QRG>ESS-eServices-Part-time-Application) for a step-by-step guide on how to apply, withdraw, amend or cancel your PTES application.

Note

Officers on PTES who are posted to another school/branch will have to re-apply for PTES in the receiving school/branch.
Officers seconded to external organisations should submit your PTES application online via the HRP Portal if the external organisation is a HRP Portal user. Otherwise, please follow the external organisation’s procedure for part-time application and inform MOE HR for processing.

Part-Time Employment Scheme

General

1. Can I be a part-time teacher and do relief teaching at the same time?

No, you are not allowed to do relief teaching while on part-time employment. Part-time work arrangement is granted with the intent of helping officers to better meet their personal needs while on active employment, and not to facilitate alternative mode of employment.

2. If a Public Holiday/Scheduled School Holiday falls on a day that I am not scheduled to work, will I get time off?

You will be eligible for a pro-rated number of hours of time-off for each particular Public Holiday/Scheduled School Holiday (if you are eligible). The treatment of Public Holidays/Scheduled School Holiday for part-timers including the formula for determining the time-off eligibility per Public Holiday/Scheduled School Holiday can be found in PSD Circular Minute No. 10/2004 dated 13 Dec 2004.

3. How long can I remain on the PTES?

The duration of the PTES is subject to approval from your Principal/Branch Head and exigencies of the service. Typically, part-time arrangements are approved up to one year (or blocks of 2 school semesters) in each application.

4. I am an officer on School Holidays Scheme. Can I apply for a duration of part-time work arrangement that is not in blocks of school semester?

To minimise disruption to school operations, officers on School Holiday Scheme should generally apply for PTES in blocks of school semesters. However, should there be any strong reason that does not allow you to keep your part-time duration to blocks of school semesters, you may discuss with your Principal/Branch Head and seek their agreement.

Application Procedure

5. If I hold a higher appointment than the stated appointments in the guidelines, can I still apply for part-time work arrangements?

Given the demands of the job for higher appointment holders, it can be very challenging for the organisation to accommodate such requests. Officers would also face difficulties in meeting the work demands due to the nature of part-time work arrangements.

If there is a need for officers to apply for part-time work arrangements, they can discuss this with their Reporting Officer (RO) and Countersigning Officer (CO). Subsequently, officers should surface their application, if supported by their RO and CO, to HR for assessment and approval on a case-by-case basis.

Alternatively, officers may wish to consider No-Pay Leave, or explore with HR the possibility of moving to another suitable position within MOE that is able to accommodate their part-time work arrangement.

6. If I apply for NPL during my PTES period, will I have to re-apply for PTES again when I return from NPL?

If your NPL is more than 6 months, you will be tagged out of your current school/branch and redeployed to another school/branch upon returning from your NPL. As the operating environment and staffing situation can vary across school/branch, you will have to re-apply for PTES in your receiving school/branch. Approval will be subject to exigencies of service and manpower needs.

7. Do I need to submit a PTES application after I have discussed and mutually agreed with my Principal/Branch Head of the part-time arrangement during my re-employment?

As part of re-employment and contract renewal process, HR will seek inputs on the agreed part-time workload option between the retiring/re-employed officer and his/her Principal/Branch Head. As such, there is no need for retiring/re-employed officers to submit a part-time application in these scenarios.

However, if you are changing to a part-time arrangement in the midst of your contract, you will need to submit a PTES application and apply under the "Re-employment" category.

8. Do I need to submit a PTES application if I am accepting the 80% workload offered to re-employed classroom teachers?

There is no need for retiring/re-employed officers to submit a PTES application as 80% workload is an option offered to re-employed classroom teachers during offer of re-employment and renewal of re-employment contract.

9. Do I need to separately submit a PTES application if I would like to take on a 50% workload instead of 80% workload offered to re-employed classroom teachers?

There is no need to separately submit a PTES application if the retiring/re-employed officer wishes to take on a different part-time workload option from the 80% workload, unless the change in workload option is in the midst of their contract.

10. Who is the Approving Authority if I would like to change the duration or workload option of my part-time arrangement?

The Approving Authority for any change in the duration (e.g. curtailment of PTES) or workload option, is dependent on whether the PTES application is within the list of application categories and workload options. The Approving Authority would be Principal/Branch Head if the application is within the list of application categories and workload options. An application that is outside the list of application categories would be routed to HR for approval after it is supported by Principal/Branch Head.

Application Categories

11. Under the PTES application category "Childcare", do I need to declare the age of my child or show evidence of my child’s age to apply for PTES?

Officers do not need to declare their child’s age to apply for PTES under the "Childcare" application category. Principals/Branch Heads have the authority to approve officers’ PTES application even if the officer’s child is above 12 years old, if they support the PTES application.

12. Can I apply for part-time work arrangement under the category “Childcare” if my child is not a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident?

Yes, the officer may do so. The "Childcare" category is not limited by the child’s citizenship.

13. Do I need to provide documentation to support my PTES application?

In general, officers should provide relevant documentation to support their PTES application. For example, they should attach their doctor’s memo when submitting a PTES application in the category of ‘Medical conditions’.

In specific circumstances where they are unable to provide documentation, they should substantiate their needs for PTES in the "Justification" field when submitting their application via the "Part-time Application" tile in the HRP Portal. For example, they should specify the family member who requires caregiving and articulate the needs for them to take on the caregiver role when applying for PTES under the category of 'caregiving needs for family members'.

14. Under the PTES application category “Pursuing studies in a relevant area of study”, what is considered a relevant area of study and does it apply to modular programme which may not lead to formal qualification?

In general, your area of study should be relevant to your career with MOE even if it is not directly relevant to your current scope of work. The Approving Authority of your PTES application will assess and determine whether your proposed area of study (including modular programme) is relevant, when reviewing your PTES application under this category, subject to exigencies of service..

15. Under the PTES application category “Re-employment”, does it cover any officers who are above retirement age (e.g. appointed into service after retirement age)?

The list of application categories is broadened to include officers on re-employment in the light of normalisation of partial workloads under the revised re-employment policy. Hence, this application category applies to retired officers who are re-employed on local-general contract with the Ministry. It does not cover officers who are appointed into service after retirement age.

Officers who do not fall under the list of application categories may still apply for PTES. Such applications would have to be supported by the Principal/Branch Head before they are routed to HR for assessment and approval on a case-by-case basis.

16. Does the PTES application category "Re-employment" apply to retired officers who are on Contract Adjunct Teaching (CAJT) Scheme?

CAJTs are not considered as officers on re-employment while retired officers may choose to transit to CAJT upon their retirement. Moreover, the workload of CAJTs is typically discussed and agreed upon at the start of their contract as part of the appointment and contract renewal process, and the agreed workload would be maintained throughout the contract. As such, PTES applications are generally not required.

Workload Options

17. Am I required to attend Contact time, departmental meetings and training?

To ensure that EOs are kept abreast of the latest developments and facilitate bonding within the school team, Principals may request you to attend Contact time, staff and departmental meetings and training as well. This should be part of the mutually agreed work arrangement between you and the school management.

18. Am I expected to conduct Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) while I am on PTES?

This depends on the arrangement between you and the school. For example, some schools may assign the part-time EO to take up more CCAs and fewer teaching duties, or vice-versa, depending on the needs of the school.

In view of the varying needs of each school, and the nature of the EO's duties, part-time EOs should be aware that they may have to work different hours each day and not always in continuous blocks of working hours.

19. Can I apply for part-time workload arrangement under a workload option that is outside the four options indicated in the guidelines?

With the four workload options, most officers should be able to find a suitable option to meet their needs. Otherwise, we encourage you to make appropriate arrangements with your Approving Authority to explore making slight adjustments to your workload in order to meet one of the four available workload options. However, should there be strong reasons (supported by your Principal/Branch Head) that do not allow such arrangements to be made, your Principal/Branch Head can surface your application to HR for assessment.

20. How is my part-time workload allocated based on my workload option?

The part-time workload allocated should generally commensurate with the selected workload option and pro-rated salary. Officers are encouraged to have an open conversation with their supervisor about their needs and mutually agree on the part-time work arrangement e.g. duration, workload option and work allocation that can meet both the officer’s and school or branch’s needs. There is no default work allocation as it depends on the specific context of each school/branch.

Ranking & Promotion

21. How would part-time officers be appraised? During ranking, will I be disadvantaged compared to others teaching full-time?

Similar to officers who are working full-time, you will be assessed for your performance and potential. Schools/Branches can choose not to rank you if you have worked for less than 9 months in a year, as the school/branch may feel that you might not have spent sufficient time in the school/branch for them to give an accurate assessment vis-à-vis other officers who have worked full-time in the year. It should be noted that the school/branch can still choose to rank if you have performed well (or poorly) and deserve a performance bonus quantum that is better (or worse) than the nominal quantum, based on the work done in the year.

22. Can I choose/request not to be ranked?

No. The school/branch ranking panel will decide on whether or not to rank you if you have worked for less than 9 months in a year.

Resources

MOE HR Circulars

25/11/2022 Revisions to Part-Time Employment Scheme Application Categories [Supersedes the PTES application categories listed in MOE circular (PA/29/18)]

08/10/2021 Revisions to Approving Authority for Part-Time Employment Scheme

12/12/2018 Revisions to Part-Time Employment Scheme

PSD Circular (Only accessible via WOG)

PSD Circular Minute No. 10/2004 dated 13 Dec 2004