Teachers with no dual language training to be sent to national schools

DPM: Teachers with no dual language training to be sent to national schools

PETALING JAYA: Rehabilitation teachers from Chinese vernacular schools who are not qualified to teach in dual languages will be transferred to national schools starting April 16.

In a statement Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the Education Ministry has investigated the claim by the Chinese schools' board of governors that there were around 100 rehabilitation teachers in Chinese schools who did not have Chinese language qualifications.

"It was found that seven of those rehabilitation teachers have Chinese language qualifications.

"These teachers will remain in the Chinese vernacular schools while the rest will be reposted to national schools," said Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister.

The decision, he added, was made after the special committee on overcoming the teacher shortage in Chinese vernacular schools held a meeting on Monday.

Muhyiddin said the Government was committed and serious about addressing the teacher shortage issue in Chinese vernacular schools and urged that the issue not be politicised.

"It is hoped that the Chinese community will be receptive towards the short- and long-term solutions because vernacular schools have never been isolated from the national school system.

"The focus should instead be on the effort to improve the quality of education in all schools, whether national or vernacular," he said.

On the issue of the dual-language qualifications of teachers who teach Bahasa Malaysia and English, Muhyiddin said teachers with the minimum Chinese language qualification at the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) level will teach the subjects in grades A and B Chinese vernacular schools for Level One (Years One to Three).

Schools with a low enrolment will be taught by teachers who have the minimum SPM Chinese language qualification, he said.

Announcing long-term initiatives, Muhyiddin said the Teacher Training Division and Teacher Training Institutes were drafting the Add-Option Intervention Programme to train teachers who did not have Bahasa Malaysia and English options and also those who have taught subjects other than the Chinese language for more than five years.

"The training will be conducted by the end of this year so that the teaching and learning process in schools will not be disrupted," he said.

Muhyiddin said 105 graduate teachers with SPM Chinese language qualifications will be posted to these schools.

 

Full text of the Deputy Prime Minister's statement:

The special committee set up by the Education Ministry to overcome the issue of insufficient teachers in Chinese vernacular schools as decided by the Cabinet committee meeting is proof that the Government is really committed and serious about solving the issue immediately and effectively.

As a concerned Government, systematic measures as well as uniformed and continuous policy have been, and are still being taken to overcome the issue of insufficient teachers in Chinese vernacular schools.

Therefore, I hope the Chinese community welcomes the short-term and long-term measures that were announced by the committee on March 20 because primary vernacular schools have never been isolated (diasingkan) in our national education system.

The measures taken are also not because of pressure from any parties and the conclusion that the Government had only taken these measures after pressure from certain parties is not true.

This issue needs to be clarified so that a true picture can be presented to refute unfounded claims and allegations made against the Government and Education Ministry.

To ensure that the teaching and learning process runs smoothly in SJKCs throughout the country, the Education Ministry has earnestly worked to fill teacher vacancies in these schools.

In 2009 there was a shortage of 4,991 teachers, the following year this number was reduced to 3,043, in 2011 the number decreased to 2,720, and finally this year, SJKCs only have a shortage of 1,874 teachers. From this, the Education Ministry has appointed a total of 1,482 interim teachers to fill the vacancies.

The remaining shortage is 392 teachers and SJKC school heads are allowed to suggest candidates who can be appointed as interim teachers by the state education departments.

The Education Ministry has allocated for a total of 38,047 teaching positions in SJKCs. As of Jan 31, 2012, a total of 36,173 trained teachers have been placed in all SJKC schools.

A total of RM1.8bil is spent anually for teachers' salaries and management operations of SJKC across the country.

There are currently 1,294 SJKCs in the country. Of the 1,294 schools, 455 schools are under-enrolled schools (schools with less than 150 pupils).

I urge all parties to stop politicising Chinese education issues and instead focus on improving the quality and progress of education in all schools, whether they are national schools or vernacular schools, with the aim of increasing our competitiveness to face upcoming challenges.

The special committee headed by Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong held discussions with Chinese educationists' associations and other stakeholders to overcome the problems faced by Chinese vernacular schools. This has resulted in an eight-point plan that has been agreed to by the Government.

This committee held four meetings with relevant parties and accepted all the feedback provided by all parties.

The meetings we held on:

March 5 - With the Educational Planning and Research Division (BPPDP), the Teacher Training Divsion (BPG), the Education Services Commission (SPP), Malaysian Teachers' Training Institutes (IPGM), the School Management Divsion (BPSH), SJKC heads' associations.

March 8 - BPPDP, BPG, SPP, IPGM, BPSH, SJKC school heads associations, Dong Zong (United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia), Dong Jiao Zhong, Hua Zhong and the National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP).

March 16 - BPPDP, BPG, SPP, IPGM, BPSH, SJKC school heads associations, Dong Jiao Zhong, Hua Zhong and NUTP (Dong Zong was not present).

March 23 - BPPDP, BPG, SPP, IPGM, BPSH, SJKC school heads associations, Dong Jiao Zhong, Hua Zhong and NUTP (Dong Zong was not present).

April 2 - BPPDP, BPG, SPP, IPGM, BPSH, SJKC school heads associations, Dong Jiao Zhong, Hua Zhong, NUTP and Dong Zong.

To ensure that the Committee's decision is carried out as it was agreed upon, a meeting on the follow-up action to the committee set up to overcome Chinese vernacular school teachers issue was held on March 27, 2012 with the BPPDP, BPG, IPM, NUTP, dan BPSH (as the secretariat).

On the teacher shortage in Chinese vernacular schools:

To overcome the teacher shortage, a total of 1,482 interim teachers were deployed to all states, while the remainding 392 interim teachers were allowed to be appointed on April 1, 2012.

These interim teachers will serve until the vacancies can be filled by trained teachers and subject to the number of actual vacancies provided for in the approved Staffing Management Expenditure Estimate (Anggaran Belanja Mengurus Perjawatan).

On March 27, 2012, the Education Ministry sent out service extension letters to the interim teachers in SJKCs. To carry out this agenda, SJKC heads can nominate teachers who meet the criteria and the appointments will be made by the relevant state education department directors.

On the problem of rehabilitation teachers who do not have bilingual qualifications:

Regarding the problem of rehabilitation teachers who do not have bilingual qualifications, Chinese vernacular schools' boards of governors feel that the act of transferring the 100 teachers is fair as these teachers cannot speak nor write in the language. To them, the question is how these teachers are able to interact with the weaker pupils in rehabilitation classes.

The Education Ministry has conducted a detailed investigation of claims that the 100-odd rehabilitation teachers have no Chinese language qualifications, and found that some of these teachers have a credit in the Chinese language.

A total seven teachers possess a credit in the Chinese language, namely two teachers in Malacca (SJKC Chabau and SJKC Pay Hsien), two teachers in Sarawak (SJKC Chung Hua, Sibuti and SJKC Chun Hua Serian), one teacher in Selangor (SJKC Hin Hua), and two teachers in Johor (SJKC SEngkang, Kulaijaya and SJKC Ban Foo).

Thus, the Education Ministry has decided to allow teachers who have Chinese language qualifications to remain in their respective schools while the other teachers will be redeployed to national schools from April 16 onwards, as decided by the special committee set up to overcome the Chinese vernacular school teachers issue on April 2.

On the problem of teachers with the Social Studies option:

A total of 17 Social Studies teachers who have a minor in Bahasa Melayu were deployed in Klang, Selangor.

A check made by the Education Ministry found that one of these teachers possessed Chinese language qualifications and will remain in the respective school (SJKC Chung Hua).

Meanwhile, the remaining 16 teachers will be transferred to national schools. A Social Studies teacher in Malacca has been replaced by a Chinese studies teacher (SJKC Chabau), while another teacher in SJKC Chung Hwa, Subis (was replaced). All these teachers will be transferred from April 16 onwards.

On the lack of bilingual qualifications of teachers with the Bahasa Melayu and English options:

The teaching of Bahasa Malaysia and English at Level One in Chinese vernacular schools of Grade A and B will carried out by teachers who are qualified to teach the Chinese language at least at the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) level.

For under-enrolled schools, the teaching of Bahasa Malaysia and English at Levels One and Two will be carried out by teachers who have Chinese language qualifications at the SPM level at least.

Long-term initiatives to overcome the teacher shortage in Chinese vernacular schools:

The BPG and IPGM are currently formulating the Add-on Option Intervention Programme (Program Intervensi Tambah Opsyen or PITO) for teachers who do not have a Bahasa Melayu or English option, and have taught a subject other than the Chinese language for over five years.

This course is expected to start by the end of the year, so as to not affect the teaching and learning process in the classroom.

The Government has introduced plans according to the needs of Chinese vernacular schools, and mechanisms to not only train Chinese language teachers but also increase the number of Chinese Studies lecturers.

There are currently 72 Chinese Studies lecturers in teachers' training institutes across Malaysia. The Education Ministry has agreed to employ 30 more Chinese Studies lecturers to improve the capacity of teachers' training.

Applications for lecturing posts in teachers' training institutes, including for Chinese Studies lecturers, was open from March 13 to 30. The ministry's teachers' training institute is currently processing the applications and the intake will commence on June 1. The intake of lecturers will be conducted on an on-going basis. The advertisement of this lecturer intake closed on March 30.

In order to increase the number of trained teachers in Chinese vernacular schools, the ministry has also checked with the SPP and found that of the Bachelor of Education graduates from public higher education institutions interviewed, 105 graduates have SPM level qualifications in the Chinese language. Therefore, the ministry has agreed to appoint them to serve in Chinese vernacular schools in the near future.

These steps taken clearly demonstrate the sincerity of the Government in resolving this issue that is seen as a long-standing issue by the Chinese community.

Even so, I have directed the committee to keep holding discussions and gathering feedback, as well as collect input from all the relevant parties and look at all the views voiced while taking into consideration all aspects and find possible solutions if other issues are brought up.