Nor mere empty words con veying a lofty ideal, the Education Ministry's mission statement resonates with the current need faced by the country in meeting the new challenges of the new century.

Yet the words more than hint of the indicrousness with the current state of the very engine of education, the teaching profession.

Teaching is rife with heavy burden, low pay and limited promotion prospects. That is the heartwrenching reality. Sad der still is the matter of fact ac ceptance of things, in part by a system that offers little, if any, incentives or even opportunities for improvement.

Recently, teachers were handed with another raw deal. Non-graduate teachers set on upgrading themselves at local universities, specifically through distance learning programmes (PJJ), were directed to sign a no promotion" declaration. In other words, teachers were asked to sign a declaration say ing that they will not demand or pressure the government into appointing them as graduate teachers upon completion of their course.

The furore which was sparked led to the ministry is suing a statement that they may retract the directive if it contin ued "to be an issue".

Behind the scenes, however, the contrary was developing. Last week, the declaration forms were distributed to state education departments for dis tribution to schools with a May 31 deadline.

National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general N. Siva Subramaniam said they have received complaints from teach ers who have been compelled by their school heads to sign the declaration.

"Despite the promise to look into the matter further, the ministry seems to be imple menting the directive as planned without taking teach ers' views into account. We consider it an act of ultra vires and have advised members not to sign."

When contacted however, the Education Ministry declined to comment on the current sta tus of the directive.

Earlier, Education Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Johari Mat assured teachers that the declaration was only a reminder that a higher paper qualification did not automati cally entail a promotion in sal ary scale.

He was reported as saying that in time, they will be pro moted to a higher scale, de pending on the vacancies avail able.

Citing a 1974 Public Serv ices Department circular which states that "the Government will not be responsible in pro viding a higher position or any other position to any officer who has successfully obtained a higher qualification as a result of pursuing an off-campus course ", Dr. Johari stressed in the report that teachers should understand that it was a rein forcement of existing stipulation and not make it into an issue.

The main worry of NUTP, however, is that in signing the declaration, the teachers are in fact signing off all their rights to a promotion and salary in crement in the future - a step backwards for teachers.

The government should in stead be happy that teachers are better qualified so that they can be more effective in educating students.

"More posts should be cre ated for these teachers. Two years ago the ministry told teachers to upgrade themselves, which many are doing at their own expense. Why are they being penalised now?" questions Siva.

He feels the issue of the unavailability of places should not arise as teachers had to obtain permission before pursuing any course to further their education.

Director-General of Educa tion Datuk Seri Dr. Abdul Shukor Abdullah argues: "It is in the terms of service. Teach ers have to ask for permission to take up any course before signing up. It is not an issue."

The point of contention then is why teachers were granted permission if there were no vacancies in the particular areas. Explains Dr. Abdul Shukor:

"Before, about four years ago, there was a shortage in certain areas, so we did not set any regulations. Now there is an over-supply."

The ministry argues that while its long-term goal is to have only graduate teachers in secondary schools (now it stands at only 20%), it is im possible to absorb 20,000 new PJJ graduate teachers over night. This "sudden" oversup ply due to the easy availability of off-campus programmes via local universities in the last few years has resulted in the gov ernment 5 inability to absorb this number into the graduate scale. However, the ministry only issued a directive on the oversupply of off-campus graduates with degrees in Bahasa Melayu and other "non critical subjects" (no shortage subject teachers) in June last year.

In any case, under standard procedures, non-graduate teach ers who obtain an offtcampus degree have to wait for an ad vertisement of vacancies for graduate teachers before they can apply.

"Their emplacement as a graduate teacher only starts if they pass the interview with the Education Services Commission Malaysia," he says.

A source, however, says that the Commission received a circular from the ministry on the lack of positions available in graduate teaching positions for PJJ graduates last September.

As of May 2000, he says, the Commission has received 500 applications from PJJ graduates for appointment to the graduate scale and 700 ap plications from degree holders with post-graduate Diploma of Education (KPLI) qualifica tions. Records from the minis try's school division reveal that by July 2000, 6,564 trainee teachers will graduate from universities with first degrees.

Dr. Abdul Shukor stresses that priority for placement will be given to the fresh graduates. particularly those who were given government scholarships. Teachers who have graduated with PJJ degrees will have to wait their turns - which could even be several years.

Dr. Abdul Shukor, how ever, argues that it is the teach ers' responsibility to check on the "need" and "availability" of places in the specific areas.

The price to pay for oversupply

"Teachers should have been mature enough to know what the requirements were before committing themselves to a course. The information is made available to them. They can ask the school or the ministry. They should know which sub jects are "full" and which are in a criti cal need of teachers," he stresses.

According to records from the schools division of the ministry, as of May 2000, the shortage in graduate teachers for spe cific subjects in secondary schools are as follows: English language (1,577) Sci ence/Advance Science (1,477), Mathemat ics (555), Physics (254) and Chemistry (20).

Dr, Abdul Shukor identifies five sub jects as "critical": Science, Mathematics, the English Language, and for primary schools, Tamil (shortage of 360) and Mandarin (shortage of 1,214).

Siva Subramaniam contends, however, that there is an overall shortage of gradu ate teachers, irrespective of the subject, because they comprise 20% of the total number of teachers in secondary schools.

He adds that it was a shame that this issue crops up at a time when Malaysia is striving to be a centre of educational excellence.

The NUTP is perhaps apt in describ ing the directive as "laughable" as h is in- deed dark comedy to expect teachers to nurture students to strive for a university education when their own aspirations are being made a joke of.

"We cannot understand the rationale as there had previously been calls to provide world-class education and for teachers to upgrade themselves," says Siva Subramaniam.

In a report in Malay daily Utusan Ma laysia recently, Deputy Education Minis ter Datuk Aziz Shamsuddin was quoted as saying that teachers who pursue their first degrees should rethink their motives in upgrading themselves. He said that instead of putting remuneration as their main priority, teachers should see the upgrad ing as a way of enrich ing their knowledge for the sake of the students' education.

But if teachers are al ready poorly pald compared to those in other professions, surely striving for graduate salary shouldn't be made light of.

The maximum salary on the non graduate scale is RM1,930 while the maximum on a graduate D63 scale is RM3, 177. Non-graduate teachers are now placed in the DGA6 category (RM917 to RMI ,930) while graduate teachers are in the DG3 scale (RM1,165 to RM3,177).

Citing the example, Siva Subramaniam says a non-graduate teacher in his thirties would probably be earning RMl,605 (DG6AT17). Once he obtains his off-cam pus degree and passes the interview by the Commission, for example on April 1 this year, to become a graduate teacher, his basic salary will be adjusted to the (gradu ate) scale nearest his previous salary.

"If you look at the graduate scale (DG3- T8), this means his new salary is now RM1,620 as this is the nearest to his pre vious salary," he says.

He explains that the teacher would also lose his increment for the year 2000 and his next increment would only be on April 1 of the following year. In actual fact, the teacher only gains RM 15.

Yet teachers sacrifice time and money to obtain the degree because the difference is significant at retirement age - teachers at the DG6 scale will retire with not more than RM1,000 of pension a month while their contemporaries in the graduate DG3 scale will have the opportunity to receive a pension of RM1,500 and above per month.

Records from the ministry's Educa tional Planning and Research division show that currently there are approxi mately 157,415 teachers in primary schools and 106,031 in secondary schools.

Siva Subramaniam said that only 20% of teachers are degree holders. The rest hold certificates or diploma in education from teacher training colleges.

"This clearly points out that there is a need for more graduates and more teachers should be encouraged to study for a degree programme but it is beyond comprehension to have to sign such a letter," he says.

The ministry's long-term goal has al ways been to have graduate teachers not only in secondary but also in primary schools. The recent directive, he points out, is taking the ministry nowhere near its supposed goal. This Tuesday, teachers around the nation will celebrate Teacher's Day. But for many, it will be a meaning less celebration.

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Dipetik dari  Guru Malaysia KPPK Jun 2000
Penyumbang: ahli KPPK Pahang