N.M.Vimala Devi, a dedicated and passionate English language teacher, has more than 35 years of teaching experience.
And to this day she goes all out to teach and inspire her students who she sees as her clients to learn the English Language.
Having gone through many changes in the education system, she shared her thoughts on how the roles and responsibilities have changed significantly over the years.
To be fair, she says, not only teachers but administrators are now expected to take on more than what they can chew.
“Truth be told, teachers as well as school administrators are opting for early retirement,” she revealed.
While she enjoys teaching, she finds it inconvenient that schools are constantly burdened by directives.
At times, she said teachers are also burdened by contradicting instructions from different ends to organise, carry out, take part in activities and programmes from the curricular, co-curricular, counselling, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) among others.
“Most of us teachers prefer our lesson time to be undisturbed. Motivational programmes, training and competitions ideally should be carried out after school hours, during weekends, or better still via online.
“Moreover, there is a lot of updating of students’ details to do under the Student Database Application (SDA), including attendance, parents’ details and student vaccination details that eats into teaching preparation time,” she said.
She mentioned that unnecessarily burdening teachers with duties aside from the required ones, pushing extra duties onto someone without first consulting them, as well as taking for granted power holds will only lead to dissatisfaction.
“Push hard enough and we will turn to other options with the internet as a great source of new income,” she noted.
While authorities are concerned that mostly experienced teachers are the ones opting out, she questioned whether these teachers are being valued or even recognised for their contributions.
“We are not considered when it comes to high value upgrading courses, on the grounds that it would not be cost effective.
“When we are asked to become coordinators for programmes attended fully by some other colleagues, I find this a nuisance.
“The government spends thousands to train someone else instead of me. I much prefer challenging myself in other ways such as finding interesting, unorthodox, the new norm ways to inspire my students,” she explained.
On co-curricular activities in school, she said officially teachers are ‘forced’ to take three but somehow there are six to eight and even more teacher advisers in each activity.
Unofficially, there are schools at the district, state, national and even international level competitions where teachers must deal with becoming accompanying teachers, trainers, coaches, judges and organisers.
“Let us choose what we want, but instead we would find our name listed under clubs, uniform bodies, or sports that we have absolutely no interest in.
“I just keep doing it because I do not want my students to be on the losing end,” she sighed.
There was a time when teachers did everything without expecting to be rewarded.
However, on the matter of recognition such as Excellent Service Award (APC), she stressed that being appreciated for what one has done and contributed goes a long way in increasing motivation.
“It seems like if you get your well-deserved APC, do not expect to get it again until six to eight years have passed. Unfortunately, you learn to accept that you deserve it, but you might not get it again,” she noted.
As such, she stated there should be no restrictions upon teachers who opt for early retirement.
“Why retain a teacher who feels his or her productivity rate is decreasing? This causes unnecessary stress to the individual.
“If she looks at her options, she is financially secure to retire in peace, her children are grown and she’s debt free. So, why not retire? Explore other passions, start a business, or perhaps travel when she is still fit and healthy.
“Also, if a teacher is ridden with all sorts of health issues, which might affect her productivity and efficiency as an educator, the win-win situation is to opt out for early retirement gracefully,” she said.
She said these teachers clearly know why they wish to retire, noting that there was a time when the retirement age was 55 and there was not much fuss then.
“Look at the bigger picture, the 10,000 happy retirees are those who have clocked in 20 to more than 30 years of services,” she said.
Economically, assuming 10,000 teachers earning a basic pay of around RM9,000 retire, she said it would be cost effective to hire 10,000 unemployed graduates and start them out with a basic pay of around RM2,000.
“Given the luxury of choice, I too, would opt to leave. However, my love for the teaching profession, my excitement with the new hybrid teaching techniques and being a single parent to my two children about to further their studies will keep me going till I retire at 60.
“With that being said, if some kind soul leaves me an inheritance worth millions, I, too might put in for early retirement,” she said, in jest.
