LECTURERS at polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) will soon be given a choice: money or vacation.
Poly lecturers can choose to take a 14-day cut in annual leave while getting a roughly 6 per cent pay raise and a bonus, or staying on the current scheme which gives them a 42-day vacation.
However, lecturers who opt to stay on their current terms could end up losing in the end.
When their contracts come up for renewal, they will be automatically put on terms that are set for new hires: 21 days of leave.
ITE lecturers can also choose to have their leave reduced to 28 days with the same compensation.
The options were part of a joint review by the ITE and the polytechnics released yesterday. It was designed in part to make teaching more appealing and to stem the flow of lecturers from polytechnics, which lose about 6 per cent of their teachers every year.
The move by the five polytechnics to cut vacation time was first reported by The Straits Times in August.
Perhaps not surprisingly, many said yesterday they would opt for the new scheme - reluctantly. Many bemoaned the change, especially those with children.
A mother of three, who asked not to be named, said it would mean less time for families.
Another said she had hoped the cut would not be so 'drastic'.
Some of those without families were also unhappy with the news.
Mr Clarence Ng, 36, who has been teaching for seven years, said the pay increase was not enough to compensate for the loss of annual leave.
'If you do the sums, it doesn't add up. While the new salaries are supposed to be pegged to industry, I doubt it. I think my peers are earning a lot more,' he said.
Others, though, welcomed the changes.
Business IT lecturer Faizah Ishak, who used to work in the travel industry, said: 'To me, it's fair news. In the industry, we also got 21 days of leave.'
The salary review will align salary scales and career paths for staff in Singapore's five polytechnics.
With an across-the-board increase in salaries, the five polytechnics also hope to lower the relatively high resignation rate, which has hovered between 6 and 6.5 per cent over the past three years. About 13 per cent of junior lecturers quit annually.
Ngee Ann Polytechnic principal Chia Mia Chiang, who chairs the review committee, said raising salaries to better match industry standards would stem the outflow of talent.
Mr Chia, who personally interviews job seekers, also said a 'very significant' number of strong candidates declined the polytechnic's offer because they did not want to take a pay cut.
To attract new staff, starting salaries will also go up by 5 or 6 per cent.
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