KUCHING: The quality of candidates must be taken seriously during the selection process to fill in the 18,702 vacancies for grade DG41 teachers said Norani Abd Rahim.
The Excellent Special Grade C lecturer (Pensyarah Cemerlang Gred Khas C) at the Institute of Teacher Education Ilmu Khas Campus in Cheras, Selangor pointed out quality control was crucial for this initiative as it was open to people from various backgrounds.
“I hope the criteria in the selection of teacher candidates will be set in accordance with the Malaysia Teacher Standard (Standard Guru Malaysia). The candidates should also possess the soul and spirit of a teacher.
“The standard should not be lowered just for the sake of getting numbers. This will pose some issues on the quality of teachers produced,” she said when contacted on Monday (June 21).
Norani added that it was challenging to develop and shape the candidates in a short period of time.
“The character, personal quality and spirit of a true teacher will be difficult to obtain within a short duration. Previously, a group of teachers were evaluated as not having full competency in teaching because they lacked in these criteria.
“The skills and knowledge of pedagogy must be mastered as well; this is not something that can be done within a short period of time or in a hurry,” she said.
Noraini also urged for priority to be given to education graduates as there were still a percentage of them waiting for placement.
“The education graduates have the academic training to qualify as teachers. The passion, commitment and effort to become a teacher or an educator is the most outstanding in this particular group,” she said.
