Job Discussion Forums

Everest · Joined: 07 Jan 2006 Posts: 195 Location: Shenzhen

What is the minimum teaching salary for a decent life in Singers with a dependent wife and child?

Thanks,

E.

sheepshead · Joined: 12 Jan 2006 Posts: 41

You will need at least S$3.5k to live. This does not allow for saving money as rent can be as low as S$1.2k up to several thousand dollars. Remember, the closer you live to Orchard Road the higher the rent. Further out you go the lower the rent which will still be around S$1.2k or higher.

One alternative is to "rent a room" from a person who owns a HDB (Housing Development Board) apartment. It is illegal but the authorities seem to turn a blind eye to it. This does not mean to say that they will continue to do so in the future. You may be caught in a situation which you do not wish to be in.

Meals can be as low as S$3:50c in a food court or hawker's centre. This is noodles and what ever in the soup along with a bowl of rice. Western style meals can vary in price according to order. Restrauants are quite expensive and therefore are not on the average person's agenda.

Indian and Malaysian / Muslin food (excellent) can be obtained at around S$6 - S$7 per meal in food courts or hawker's centres.

All of the above does not take in travel costs and other incidentals which you will spend money on every day whether or not you want to.

I have set out a rough guide for you and I hope that Dave Sperling will allow a posting on this thread on living in Singapore and the pitfalls associated with Singapore.

Remember, Caveat emptor! (Let the buyer beware!)

I hope that this gives you a guide in your endeavours.

"FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED."

Everest · Joined: 07 Jan 2006 Posts: 195 Location: Shenzhen

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Thanks. Yours is a helpful, if somewhat negative post. I have a pal in Singers now who is renting an HDB apartment for 500, It's a bit out of town (No, I don't want to live in Raffles Place) and he says it's OK and that he makes 4000 on his basic gig plus another 2000 on privates and lives like a king. I don't want to live like a king. I just want my wife and small kiddie and I to do OK.

I'm a white man with university degrees and so is he. He says I can make a bundle in Singapore and do great and I believe him. I'm going.

Thanks.

E.

k1w1 · Joined: 06 Aug 2004 Posts: 32 Location: Singapore

Unfortunately having a white face and a degree is not enough to get you a decent job here. But I assume you have teaching experience too.

I think that $4k a month is the minimum for a family to live on. It can be done on les, but you will struggle. No language school pays that though. I live here with my husband and we have two kids. It is really has been really hard going as we were attached to language schools who are the scum of the earth. We have broken free of this trap now, and things are much, much better. If you have a teaching certificate or a Masters degree, you can do really well.

You should come: this is a fantastic place to bring up children. PM me if you want more details on schools to contact/avoid: I may be able to help.

moot point · Joined: 22 Feb 2005 Posts: 441

Interesting thread.

What kind of opportunities exist for those with teaching credentials or an MA in TESL?

sheepshead · Joined: 12 Jan 2006 Posts: 41

K1W1

Could you please send me details of the schools you worked in which you name as the "scum of the earth." Maybe, I can add another language school to your list.

Pinchy · Joined: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 12 Location: Singapore

BJWD · Joined: 15 Jul 2004 Posts: 10

Could any of you kindly advise as to what the employment market (in terms of salary and variety of positions to choose from) would be for a 25 year-old American female who has a Masters in Linguistics, 3 years experience (Turkey and Korea) and a TESOL certificate?

sheepshead · Joined: 12 Jan 2006 Posts: 41

BJWD

If you have read all of the postings in this thread you will would have realised that you need at least S$4K pm to live. Please read my earlier posting "Off Topic Singapore."

There are really only two REAL language schools worth looking at. British Council and Allan Morris and possibly neither of these would be interested in such low qualifications of a prospective teacher. There is another language school run by a caucasian female (to the best of my knowledge this is correct) which is supposed to do various activities including speech and drama etc.

All other schools are not worth looking at as they pay far below what is a reasonable caucasian living standard or they are so crumby or corrupt or not worth a second thought. As one previous poster expressed the opinion, "they are the scum of the earth!"

Yes, corruption is available in Singapore.

I hope that this negative posting helps you. You will find that Singapore is as negative as any other country, especially Asian countries.

sheepshead · Joined: 12 Jan 2006 Posts: 41

BJWD

If you have read all of the postings in this thread you would have realised that you need at least S$4K pm to live. Please read my earlier posting "Off Topic Singapore."

There are really only two REAL language schools worth looking at. British Council and Allan Morris and possibly neither of these would be interested in such low qualifications of a prospective teacher. There is another language school run by a Caucasian female (to the best of my knowledge this is correct) which is supposed to do various activities including speech and drama etc.

All other schools are not worth looking at as they pay far below what is a reasonable living standard for Caucasians or they are so crumby or corrupt or not worth a second thought. As one previous poster expressed the opinion, "they are the scum of the earth!"

Yes, corruption is available in Singapore.

I hope that this negative but hopefully objective posting helps you. You will find that Singapore is as negative as any other country, especially Asian countries.

BJWD · Joined: 15 Jul 2004 Posts: 10

If an MA in an ESL related field, 3 years of experience and TESOL constitutes "low qualifications" then what in the world constitutes good?

And I had read all the postings. I wanted information about the competitiveness of the labour market.

No need to be rude.

sheepshead · Joined: 12 Jan 2006 Posts: 41

BJWD

First I did not intend to be rude. I merely stated a fact as I know that both establishments require a bit more than you have.

I reside in Singapore. I monitor a lot of URL's for teacher employment in Asia. I know from personal knowledge, personal communication and reading adverts (when they appear) that your qualifications are not in their league of requirements. If is any consolation to you, neither are my qualifications.

Your market is extremely diminished in Singapore. That is why I wrote to teachers to go to better paying jobs in other countries and (I now add) graze on greener pastures in other countries.

No offence meant. Just stating facts.

moot point · Joined: 22 Feb 2005 Posts: 441

what kind of quals. are these better schools looking for then? Do they expect a PhD?

Everest · Joined: 07 Jan 2006 Posts: 195 Location: Shenzhen

BJWD.

Your quals are fine. Sheepshead, are you drunk? You're not being 'objective' - or even realistic.

I have a pal currently in Singapore with a BA and a graduate diploma in education and he's making about 6K a month with a few privates thrown in.

BJWD, from what I can understand, there are plenty of decent schools in SGP that would be interested in hearing from someone like you. Very Happy

Pay no mind to this insulting, defeatist crap from people who think this island outpost sets some sort of 'global standard' (Ha! Ha!....'la')) and are pathetic and insecure enough to pass their inferiority complex onto someone else.

E.

k1w1 · Joined: 06 Aug 2004 Posts: 32 Location: Singapore

The places being referred to by Sheepshead are: Morris Allen, Lorna Whiston and British Council.

To everyone on this thread:

There have recently been some radical changes made in Singapore to try and weed out some of these scum-bag schools. Any school that does not have CaseTrust approval (check their website) should be given a very wide berth. Approval from CaseTrust is in the interest of students (many of whom have been getting ripped off as badly as the teachers), but schools without it are not allowed to enrol foreign students. This means they are likely to be very unstable and ruthless.

Minimum pay for Employment Pass (work permit): $2500 per month
Average pay for language school teacher: $3000
Teacher in an established private institution (see above): $4,500-6,500
Teacher in an international school: $5,000-8,000

Another tip: anyone who is constantly advertising on Tefl.com should be avoided. No school here is expanding that quickly - but they are losing their staff really quickly. Never a good sign.