KUALA LUMPUR: The nation’s education sector has seen the introduction of various reforms aimed at promoting excellence in human capital development in the past one year since Pakatan Harapan helmed the Federal Government.Driven by its slogan “Schools for the Community, Universities for Society”, the Education Ministry is endeavouring to enhance the status and image of the teaching profession via the implementation of various initiatives, aimed at reducing the workload of teachers and ensuring their well-being.To relieve teachers of the clerical work they have been burdened with all these years, the ministry has simplified file management and documentation through three interventions, namely textbook loan scheme, committee files and classroom-based assessment reports.
Data and online system management have also been simplified via two interventions, namely collecting data from the ministry’s existing sources and recording student attendance online.National Union of Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general Harry Tan said the new measures would give teachers more time to interact with their students.He said NUTP has been working with the ministry since last July and held discussions with minister Dr Maszlee Malik and his deputy Teo Nie Ching on the implementation of the new work processes.“What’s important is that the minister has begun to give focus on ensuring that teachers perform their rightful task, which is teaching and not be bogged down with filling up forms,” said Tan.He also said the challenges faced by teachers today were related to the issue of professionalism.
Citing the shortage of English teachers in Kelantan as an example, he said those who did not take that subject as an option were being forced to teach the subject.“Surely there are shortcomings (in their quality of teaching) and their superiors, as well as the community, are putting the blame on the teachers concerned,” he said.Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohammad Shatar opined that the student-centred learning concept should be practised more diligently in schools to enable students to master 21st-century skills such as thinking and communication and being able to work in groups.He said the “one-way communications methods that have been in practice for a long time” were not effective.“Teachers should stay abreast of the changes and developments taking place in society, such as Industry 4.0,” he added. — Bernama
