Be fair in placement of teachers

PLACEMENT in schools is a constant topic of debate among teachers as, at some point in their service, they may fall victim to the system if it is hijacked by people with power, influence and personal agenda.

Placement refers to the fresh appointment of teachers after graduation and the redeployment of in-service teachers who applied to transfer to another school.

This process is usually carried out systematically to ensure that the needs of schools in terms of “subject expertise” are fulfilled. When making decisions on their placement, the welfare of teachers is usually considered, including factors like health and distance from their hometown.

The system appears to be perfect until it is tweaked to accommodate individuals who have the privilege to pick and choose where they want to be. Though the Education Ministry entertains applications for transfer from teachers all over the country, granting everyone their wish to be in their chosen schools is not an easy task. However, the appli- cations are usually studied carefully and those with valid reasons are often approved without much hassle.

Transfer of teachers on the basis of mutual agreement is also allowed when specific requirements are met.

Unfortunately, justice is not served when “external influence” is used to secure placements. In the attempt to serve the selfish needs of some individuals, the rights of the deserving ones are denied, thus causing injustice.

Some teachers in their desperate attempt to be placed in their desired schools, or in a favoured district, agree to teach subjects which are alien to them. Their lack of “subject knowledge” is utterly ignored in their pursuit of a placement-of-convenience.

When this occurs, the system of placing teachers according to their field of expertise is compromised, causing an imbalance in subject specialisation in schools. This leads to schools having excess teachers with a certain subject expertise and lacking mis- erably in other subjects. The excess teachers are then made to teach subjects which are not in their scope of expertise. This can have grave effects on the performance of students as a whole.

Teaching an unfamiliar content robs teachers of their self-confidence, and this would have dire effects on their students. Some may argue that teaching isn’t a matter of expertise but of determination, but a true teacher would know the irrelevance of the argument as “determination” alone doesn’t promise an active and effective teaching and learning environment.

Let’s not make the students victims of a flawed system. It is hoped that teachers with the right qualifications are placed in the right school for the right reasons. Let’s not deny the rights of the deserving in the process of pleasing individuals who are obviously putting their personal gains above the needs of the students.

SUGANDHI RAGHAVAN@SR2 Tampin, Negri Sembilan