By Leow Si Wan

THE Education Ministry (MOE) had set out to recruit 3,000 teachers and 680 allied educators this year, but shot past this target a month ago.

By mid-June, it had signed on 3,040 teachers and 720 allied educators - school counsellors, special-needs officers and others who give teachers a hand in counselling and helping weaker students.

These successful applicants were picked from 21,000 applications - 40 per cent more than last year - following a hiring drive and moves to design attractive advancement opportunities for teachers.

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