Debated in Parliament on 4 Nov 2025.
Mr Shawn Loh asked the Minister for Education given the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey 2024 finding that teachers worked 47.3 hours a week on average (a) whether the Ministry has assessed if the work-life balance of teachers is worse than that of the rest of the public service; and (b) if so, what are new impactful measures being considered to improve work-life balance for teachers.
Mr Jackson Lam asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry has assessed the cumulative effects of sustained seven-day work weeks and after-hours marking on teachers' mental health and family life; (b) how such well-being data inform staffing, performance evaluation and retention policies; and (c) whether the Ministry will pilot protected rest-time policies for educators.
Mr Vikram Nair asked the Minister for Education in light of the 2024 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) which found longer working hours of Singapore teachers and the higher stress they face as compared to OECD average, whether the Ministry is taking steps to address these matters.
These questions have been addressed as part of the oral reply to Questions Nos 2 to 5 on 4 November 2025. [Please refer to "Addressing Teachers' Stress Levels and Supporting Their Mental Well-being", Official Report, 4 November 2025, Vol 96, Issue 9, Oral Answers to Questions section.]
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