Uncertain future ahead for temporary teachers

KUCHING: About 80 temporary teachers in the state, who are still graded as interim teachers, are worried about their employment status as some of their peers at one school have not been paid since last month.

The group spokesperson, who requested not to be named as she feared for her own position, said although they have served at their current schools since March last year, the Ministry of Education has yet to absorb them as permanent teachers.

She said they had been told their term of service would be extended until December but official correspondence indicated the extension would only be until October, while they await a final round of interviews this month.

“If some schools stop paying our salaries because of the uncertainties surrounding our status, then how are we going to survive? Most of us have families and we need the pay to sustain our families and our homes,” she said yesterday.

She explained that some of the temporary teachers are paid through vouchers, which meant their salaries would be deposited later.

The spokesperson added as temporary teachers, they are not eligible for allowances and other benefits.

According to official correspondence from the state Education Department, she said the schools are supposed to continue paying the salaries of the interim teachers until all of them have sat for the third and final interview by the end of October.

“They (the relevant authorities) say they want to call us for upcoming interviews. We really hope we get the posts permanently and we believe we have proven our qualities in the schools we are in now.

“Even our parents are getting very anxious and losing hope in the system, and we do not want to disappoint them any further,” she said.

The spokesperson said she and her peers were sourced from the open market, and all graduated with a Bachelor of Education (Hons) from a private university.

It was reported in The Borneo Post on May 10 that 80 out 236 interim teachers from Sarawak who were given a second chance to sit for the psychometric test conducted by the Malaysian Education Service Commission (SPP) in March had failed.

Previously, it was reported that 210 interim teachers were to be terminated as they failed the same test last December.

However, following intervention by Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg, Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid allowed for an extension of service until June 30 for the chance to sit for the test again.

On May 31, Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research Dato Sri Michael Manyin told a press conference that the federal Education Ministry had granted an extension of service to the interim teachers who did meet the requirements of the second psychometric test.

Manyin said they would be tested for a third and final time to enable them to become permanent teachers

Following calls for them to be made permanent teachers, Manyin said he had appealed for the temporary teachers to have an extension of service until December, which was granted subject to the outcome of their tests this month.