THE Education Ministry (MOE) has announced a new and enhanced pay and career package for those in the teaching force.

The changes, which kick in next April aims to make teaching a more attractive job option and encourage current education officers to stay in the profession.

Called the Grow 2.0 Package, the scheme will have an opt-in system which'll see teachers' salaries pegged more closely to their performance, with higher salary increases, and bigger bonuses.

Depending on whether they're appraised as 'good', 'very good', or 'outstanding', educators can expect annual increments of up to four per cent and up to an additional 2.25 months more in performance bonus.

It's also good news for all 29,000 teachers who stand to gain from an enhanced long-term incentive plan, called the Connect Plan.

Under the current 40-year scheme, teachers receive annual deposits throughout their career and are able to draw a proportion of the money every three to five years.

But now that the scheme has been shortened to 30 years, teachers can expect higher payouts and look forward to drawing their full Connect Plan deposits earlier.

Other changes include new initiatives to improve the professional development and work life harmony of MOE's education officers.

And for older teachers, a new retirement plan with re-employment opportunities.

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