Leave of Absence, Marriage and Paternity Leave,
Part-Time Employment and Medical/Dental Claims

Leave of Absence

Student teachers who cannot attend classes for any good reasons must apply for leave of absence. Student teachers who absent themselves without approval or medical certificate issued by medical practitioners in Singapore may be subject to disciplinary action being taken against them. This may lead to termination of service for errant offenders.

It is the onus of student teachers to contact lecturers in charge to explain the reasons for their absence not later than two working days after the date of absence. Where the absence is due to medical leave, student teachers are required to produce medical certificates issued by registered medical practitioners in Singapore. Even if it is an ailment for which student teachers have the necessary medication, a medical certificate is still required to substantiate that the leave is on medical grounds.

Student teachers are required to show the original medical certificates to the lecturers concerned before submitting it to the Foundation Programmes Office (Block 1, Level 1). The deadline for submission is two weeks from the date of issue of the medical certificate. Beyond this deadline, if no information has been forwarded to lecturers regarding the absence, letters of warning will be issued. A copy of the letter of warning will be extended to the Ministry of Education. The penalty for unauthorised absence would range from withdrawal of the salary, withholdment of increment, suspension or discontinuation of payment of benefits, or termination of service

Applications must be made on the prescribed form entitled, "Application for Leave of Absence During Term Time" which can be obtained from the Foundation Programmes Office (Block 1) or the NIE Portal at http://nieportal.nie.edu.sg under "Student Information". Applications for leave of absence must be submitted to the Foundation Programmes Office at least five days in advance.  Where the leave is for the purpose of participating in Games, the application should be submitted to MOE through NIE at least three weeks in advance to allow for processing. Student teachers should not go on leave until approval has been obtained.  Late leave applications will not be considered.

Student teachers in the PGDE, PGDE(PE), Dip Ed, Dip PE, Dip Art/ Music/ Home Economics Education and BA/BSc (Ed) Programmes may leave for holidays overseas during public holidays, weekends and the NIE vacation as long as there are no programme commitments to fulfil during the period concerned. However, final year student teachers are required to attend the compulsory enrichment and induction programmes immediately after the end of their NIE examinations.  You will then assume teaching duties in your posted school immediately thereafter.

Participants attending the LEP and DDM Programmes are required to seek permission from NIE through Associate Dean, Leadership Programmes if they intend to leave Singapore (beyond the Johor Bahru town limit) during public holidays, weekends and the NIE vacation. This is in compliance with para H22 of Instructional Manual 2.

Female student teachers who are likely to be on maternity leave during semester time are advised to consult Assistant Head/Admissions and Records at the Foundation Programmes Office (Block 1) at least one month prior to the expected commencement of leave.  Student teachers may be allowed a maximum of 28 days maternity leave during semester time if there are at least 13 teaching weeks in that semester.  If maternity leave takes place during a semester that has fewer teaching weeks, student teachers may face a higher risk of not being able to fulfil their programme commitments and as a result, may have to extend their programme of study beyond the normal duration at their own cost.  Student teachers who are on maternity leave during Practicum will have to extend their period of Practicum accordingly at their own cost.

In view of the above, student teachers who are likely to be on maternity leave during semester time are required to check with module lecturers on the implications of their absence before they go on maternity leave.

Marriage and Paternity Leave

Student teachers, who have completed at least three months of service and are not on no-pay leave at the time of taking the leave, are eligible for full-pay unrecorded leave for 3 days on the occasion of their first marriage.  Married male student teachers may also be granted full-pay unrecorded leave for 3 calendar days each on the occasion of the birth of their first four children (excluding legally adopted and step children), to be taken within 6 months from the birth of the child. This is provided that they are not on no-pay leave at the time of taking the leave.

Application forms for full-pay unrecorded leave for the above purposes can be obtained from the Foundation Programmes Office or the NIE Portal at http://nieportal.nie.edu.sg and should be submitted to MOE through NIE at least 7 days in advance.

 
Part-Time Employment / Course

Student teachers sponsored by the Ministry of Education are civil servants by virtue of the fact that they are appointed as education officers on salary terms. As a general rule, civil servants are not allowed to take up any form of part-time employment or courses outside the service. As education officers and civil servants, student teachers are advised not to take up part-time employment or courses while they are undergoing teacher-training.

If there are any enquiries, please contact the following officers from the Ministry of Education:

Medical and Dental Claims

Student teachers who are receiving monthly salary from the Ministry of Education are eligible for medical and dental benefits under the Medisave-cum-Subsidised Outpatient (MSO) Medical Benefits Scheme. These benefits are not applicable to those on no-pay leave and full fee-paying students. For those who are eligible, the claims can be made online through the Pac@Gov in the MOE Intranet.  The claims have to be made within 1 month of the receipt of the medical or dental treatment.  Please retain the receipts for 2 months and if you are prompted by the system to submit the receipts, please submit them to Mdm Puvan for verification at:

MOE Building
8^th Floor, Finance Department
1 North Buona Vista Drive
Singapore 138675

Attn: Mdm Puvan

If there are any queries or problems accessing Pac@Gov, please contact Mdm Teo Bee Loh at TEO_Bee_Loh@moe.gov.sg

 
Extension of Teacher Training Programme to Clear/Repeat Modules

The programme fees and salary for student teachers who are appointed to the Singapore Education Service will be sponsored by the Ministry of Education for the stipulated period of the programme.  In the event that student teachers are required to extend their programme beyond the stipulated period for the purpose of clearing/repeating modules, they will be placed on compulsory no-pay leave.  Student teachers may be allowed to teach on part-time basis, subject to the Ministry and Principal's approval, if they are repeating 1 or 2 modules (excluding Practicum) in the extended period of their programme.  This does not apply to student teachers who are repeating modules in their final semester before reaching the maximum candidature.  In addition, student teachers will be required to bear the programme fees and miscellaneous fees for the extended period of their programme.

ACADEMIC WARNING, PROBATION AND DISMISSAL

Student teachers sponsored by the Ministry of Education, whose work is unsatisfactory, may be given a series of warnings by NIE/MOE.  The following indicates categories of warnings in ascending order of severity:

Student teachers will be placed back on full-pay if they are restored to good standing in the next semester.  There will not be any retrospective payments of salary.  Student teachers will be placed on Academic Termination to their course of study and liable to pay liquidated damages in one lump sum if they are placed on academic probation and failed to restore himself to good standing in the following semester.