NUTP urges study on teachers’ welfare
KUALA LUMPUR: Teachers and parents’ groups unanimously agree that more must be done for the 435,000 teachers nationwide, especially in terms of where they are posted to teach.
National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) president Kamarozaman Abd Razak said the Education Ministry should do a study on how the welfare of teachers could be taken care of, especially those teaching in remote areas.
“Schools in remote areas really need teachers who are highly dedicated and passionate in what they do. In this case, the ministry must make sure that those teachers posted to remote schools are willing to go the extra mile.
“Sometimes, teachers are posted to places where they are not interested in, which makes them feel ‘forced’ to teach. These are the teachers who turn ‘problematic’ in future.”
Kamarozaman suggested a system where teachers, who were willing to teach in remote areas, could volunteer themselves, so others would not feel burdened or forced.
He also suggested the ministry provide four-wheel drive vehicles (4WD) for schools in remote areas and to absorb maintenance costs.
“The hardship allowances for teachers in schools in the interior areas are adequate, but when it comes to extra expenses, like for example, maintenance of the 4WD vehicles, some may not be able to afford them.
“In these cases, the ministry can provide these vehicles and absorb the maintenance costs, which will then allow the teachers to travel to schools comfortably,” he said.
In response to the call by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to increase the welfare of the 435,000 teachers, Parent Action Group for Education suggested the government makes use of undergraduates to temporarily fill the position of teachers with heavy workloads.
“They are now encouraged to take a gap year. Maybe they can stand in to relieve teachers’ workloads, such as becoming teaching assistants, manage or conduct co-curricular (activities) or even assist in parent-teacher association activities with the community,” said its chairman, Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim.