KUCHING: The Sarawak Teachers’ Union (STU) has welcomed the Education Ministry’s announcement to improve several structures of the country’s education system.
STU president Adam Parkash Abdullah said the union always welcomes change and improvement to the education system, including the transfer for teachers which could be done four times a year in the near future.
“We hope that teachers will not face any problems with getting endorsements from the headmasters, principals or district education offices,” he told New Sarawak Tribune.
On Sunday, Senior Education Minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin said the ministry will also ensure that teachers can teach other subjects apart from their qualifications so as to give an advantage when requesting a transfer
Adam said most teachers graduated from the teacher’s training colleges are able to teach at least two different subjects, thus is not an issue with the teachers in Sarawak.
STU, he said, was also happy to note that teachers will be able to enhance their skills through development programmes so as to be able to become better and excellent teachers.
“We hope the Education Ministry will continue to make regular engagements with teachers as well as provide opportunities for teachers to further their studies. We also urge the ministry to relook at the clerical duties of the teachers to ensure they can be effective classroom teachers,” he said.
Adam said the union would also request the officers and staff from the district education office not to delegate their work to the school teachers but rather request for more personnel to run the administration more effectively.
The theme “Guru Tunjang Sekolah Sejahtera” defines the roles of teachers in educating school children to ensure the success of the education system.
“So, teachers need to focus on teaching effectively and mould the children into successful and useful citizens of the country,” he added.
Radzi also said among the improvements that would be given attention by the Education Ministry was the provision of an application platform for scheduling and grading schools nationwide.
Radzi said the database of teacher information filling systems and so on will also be given focus by the ministry to facilitate the matter so that it can be implemented easily and efficiently.
He said the context of teacher development and well-being will also be given attention to ensure the operation of the school and the responsibilities of teachers can be enhanced efficiently while on duty.
