Shaping the future
TEACHING is not only a noble profession, it is one of the most respected as well. By becoming a teacher, you hold the power to influence young minds.
However, you must remember that with great power comes great responsibility.
As a teacher, you need to be careful about what you teach your students because students of today are the builders of tomorrow.
There are well-structured courses that have been refined over many millennia that will lead you to your calling of nurturing young minds.
To become a teacher, the pathways that you can take are:
National teaching degree preparatory programme (Program Persediaan Ijazah Sarjana Muda Perguruan) – This is the stepping stone to the four-year teaching degree programme (Program Ijazah Sarjana Muda Perguruan), which is the qualification you need to teach in public primary schools.
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Offered only at selected local Teachers Training Institutes (Institut Pendidikan Guru), you can enrol in the preparatory programme after completing your Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.
To pursue this programme, you must first submit an application through the Education Ministry portal, sit for the qualifying test and then make it through an interview.
Matriculation – After SPM, the most common pathway for individuals who want to be teachers is to progress to a matriculation programme, which will take one or two years.
After passing your matriculation, you can apply for a degree in education. With this degree in the bag, you can obtain placements in public primary and secondary schools across Malaysia.
Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) – Both aforementioned pathways require good SPM passing grades. There is no need to feel discouraged if you do not meet this requirement.
Your dream of becoming a teacher can still be achieved via the STPM route. This pathway requires you to sit for your STPM – which does not require excellent SPM passing grades – before advancing into a degree in education.
Diploma – One of the fastest ways into the industry, you can be a teacher immediately after completing your diploma.
If you still want to obtain a degree in education, you can skip ahead to the second year of your degree programme if you already have a diploma in teaching.
Before taking the plunge, you should remember that teaching is all about learning, not earning. You must understand your students’ needs and grow with them.
A good teacher does not force a student to learn. She instead piques their interest so they are eager to learn.
If you are certain you can commit to the responsibility of moulding impressionable young minds, a job in education is for you.