This weekend, I finished updating my resume. Because my son will study in a primary school in 2026, I hope to get hired by the Ministry of Education next week so that I can enrol my son into the same school as me.
So, I’m on a quest to collect interview questions that caught interviewees off guard. The left-field questions that won’t be found in any study guide because well, the interviewers are intent on asking questions specific to their organisation rather than generic ones that invite you to share your strengths and weaknesses. This is my compilation so far:
My experience
Was teaching in a junior college (pre-university) when I went for an interview at a polytechnic (preparing youths for the workplace)
Would you say that some of the unmotivated kids you teach at your junior college will blossom if they study at our polytechnic?
Didn’t expect the principal of the polytechnic to probe into the motivations of the kids I taught at the junior college!
Another of my experiences
Interview at my current workplace
What’s one suggestion you have to improve our school? (I was teaching Maths as a relief teacher at that school then.)
(After expounding on my suggestion) What’s one disadvantage of your suggestion?
I was horrified that they would ask me to shoot down my suggestion right after I elaborated so persuasively on it.
Friend A’s experience (He wanted to jump ship from policy-making at the Ministry of Home Affairs to educating students at the Ministry of Education.)
- You don't have to join teaching to get to develop young minds. There are interns at Ministry of Home Affairs for you to teach too. So why Ministry of Education?"
- What is the role of a General Paper teacher who imparts critical thinking and argumentative writing skills? Are there things that shouldn't be discussed in class?
- What are some recent policies?
Friend B’s experience (Seeking a Headquarters posting after working as a kindergarten teacher)
- Tell me one thing that you would do to change our current curriculum.
- Which career track are you looking into - senior mentor teacher or management?
Thank you in advance for sharing your interview questions that are off the beaten path. 😄