Contract for 412 clerical assistants to teachers ends this month

KUALA LUMPUR: The contract for 412 clerical assistants, who were selected as part of a pilot project to reduce the burden of teachers in 2012, will end this month.

The National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) has urged the Government to consider absorbing these assistant clerks into the civil service or extending their contract in schools.

“We will present a memorandum to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as she has expressed her desire to create a position for assistant teachers.

“These clerical assistants are part-time workers who are paid RM54 daily and meant to reduce the teachers’ burden by carrying out work such as filing in students’ data and documents online.

“The pilot project was introduced by then Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin under a pioneer programme to strengthen the teaching profession under the National Blue Ocean Strategy,” NUTP president Kamarozaman Abd Razak told reporters yesterday.

Dr Wan Azizah had reportedly said last month that the position of assistant teachers would be created for administrative tasks to reduce the burden of teachers.

Melaka had been selected to run the pilot project, followed by Kedah.

Kamarozaman said the project was intended to be expanded to schools in every state should it prove to be a success and urged the Government to study its impact before terminating the contract.

“We hope those in Kedah and Melaka are retained permanently while more clerical assistants are introduced in other states.

“We need these assistants so that teachers can focus on their teaching,” he said.

Noorul Syahada Badrol Hisham, a clerical assistant from Melaka, claimed that the terms of the contracts were inconsistent.

“In 2012, assistant clerks received a one-year contract but in subsequent years, many received contracts for three months,” she said.

She said at that time, they were told that they would be permanently absorbed within five years.

“So, we were shocked when we received our termination letters.

“If the post of assistant teachers are set up as mentioned, we hope those of us who were already selected will be retained.”