Is $5K monthly salary for teachers too high? — Netizens are divided

SINGAPORE: Mr Mak Geng Yuan is no longer a teacher, leaving the profession three years ago. The 33-year-old has since shifted careers and is now a property investor, and judging by the nine properties he owns, he is doing very well indeed.

The former Ministry of Education scholar and teacher appears to have retained some love for his last career, telling TikTok users that it’s a “very fulfilling” job—if you’re all right, that is, with a $5000 monthly salary.

https://www.tiktok.com/@g.y.mak/video/7225570255492418818?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7244324934267799042

Mr Mak had said in his first video on TikTok on April 24 this year that he was once upon a time a school teacher, and had no properties, adding, “If you told me I'd be where I am today, I wouldn't believe it.”

https://www.tiktok.com/@g.y.mak/video/7225570255492418818

Fast forward to today, and things are very different now.

When a curious commenter asked him, “How much does an MOE teacher actually earn?” he showed his final payslip from 2020 in an Aug 2 video that has gone viral, getting 256,000 views.

[caption id="attachment_517051" align="aligncenter" width="744"] TikTok screengrab/g.y.mak[/caption] [caption id="attachment_517052" align="aligncenter" width="716"] TikTok screengrab/g.y.mak[/caption] For the sake of comparison, the median monthly salary in Singapore last year was $5,070.

As it turns out, he wrote that many netizens previously commented that they think MOE teachers earn very well.

And maybe, comparatively speaking, they do, but Mr Mak’s $5,133.67 certainly won’t buy him nine properties, although he acknowledged that this was a 2020 rate and the pay might be higher at this point.

“If you think $5000 is a good income and you have a very strong passion to mould the future of our nation and you want to bring education to the classroom, bring joy to the children, I welcome you to be a teacher.”

Meanwhile, netizens commenting on the TikTok video were divided on whether teachers are paid well or too little.

FYI: Teachers in Singapore, although not as well paid as their counterparts in Luxembourg, Germany, or Canada, are still better off than many Asian educators, including those in Malaysia, Indonesia, and India. /TISG

https://theindependent.sg/singapore-teacher-sells-his-dream-house-to-give-6-students-150000-university-fees-and-to-further-their-studies-in-australia/