Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email It would have been good if his claims were substantiated with statistics. The reason given by Deputy Education Minister Datuk Razali Ismail is that non-Malays are more interested in joining the private sector rather than the public sector as they feel the perks are better.
“From the feedback I get, they are not keen on making teaching their career. They prefer to become entrepreneurs as there are better prospects,” he said.
The above statement seem to condemn the Malays as lacking motivation, entrepreneurship, and dependent on government. Hmm….
One other possible reason is that the teachers can be posted to any part in the country. Even my cousin who is getting married soon is worried that she will be posted away from the future husband’s location. Secondly is the working environment in the schools – some are becoming very much alien as compared to those days – to much of religion. Even if teaching hours are shorter, the workload is heavy. Teachers might as well ask for normal 9 to 5 working hours. Finally, looking at discplinary issues in schools, teaching will soon be a high risk job. So, do one need all this trouble and stress?
Insisting that there is no quota system in the selection of teacher trainees, Deputy Education Minister Datuk Razali Ismail said although non-Malays are encouraged to join the service, many are still reluctant to do so.
“We are doing our best to attract the non-Malays but they are not applying. We do not select only Malays for teaching jobs,” he said.
Razali said there is a shortage of Chinese and Tamil teachers not only in vernacular schools but in national schools as well.
“In fact, I had also spoken with my colleague Dr Wee Ka Siong (Deputy Education Minister) on the possibility of holding campaigns to attract the Chinese to become teachers.
“We need to get the numbers to correct the racial imbalance,” he said Wednesday, adding that the ministry had also conducted “walk-in” interviews to attract non-Malays to teach in vernacular schools.
Razali was asked to comment if efforts are being made to get more non-Malays to join the teaching service to reflect the country’s multi-racial composition.
Asked if the non-Malays are staying away from the profession as they are not considered for promotions, Razali denied it.
“We don’t leave out the non-Malays when it comes to promotions. In fact, the ministry has even introduced the time-based promotions so that those eligible will be automatically promoted,” he said.
I think the imbalance is so much now, until its beyond repair. Unless there’s a discriminative policy to hire 70% non-Malays for the next 5 years (or something similar), the imbalance cannot be addressed. Just hiring few people per intake is meaningless
I suspect one reason why government sector needs non Malays is to take care of the office when festive season like Hari Raya occurs. Thus the racial imbalance needs to be addressed.
Total lie. Dammm lier! This year is the forth time my wife applied for teaching but turned down.
….and yes I agree 100% with you brother, our national schools had turned to Islamic schools. Just ask any non-malays pupils in primary school, they know how to say some or atleast little of Islam’s prayers.
The worst is, too many Islamic programs carried out during school hours and most of the time non-malays students are gathered somewhere, with one or two indians/chinese teachers have to babysit them.
I am sorry to hear that your wife didn’t get the teaching job.I did myself get some offers,to teach ,I rejected it,as I had better offers in singapore.I think there is possiblity,that what subjects one teach? which level they are teaching? (primary schools or secondary schools) might make the difference.Ask,your wife not too lose heart,my sister-in-law,got the teaching profession after many attempts,now she is teaching for 7 years,never looked back
In,regards to the Islamic programs there is nothing much one can do,we have to accept it,we are in a Islamic majority nation.In certain parts of europe,Bible classes are complusory expecially in poaland,U have take it,regardless of your religion.
There is no such thing as perfect scenario,My sister-in-law previously taught in a tamil school,but the pay is meager,but not much benefits.Then she,switch to govt school for better pay and benefits
I agree that it’s a total lie that non-Malays are not interested in teaching job. I’ve applied for consecutive 2 years for the teaching position and was rejected. See, the first year, when i was in the interview, the interviewer asked, “How long have you taught in the school?” (I was a temporary teacher then). I replied 3 months. Then, he asked, “Why do you apply for this course? you’re not eligible. go back and apply next year.”
I was so devastated. Don’t they read the application form which have already stated that i’ve only 3 months experience and yet they called for interview and then rejected me point blank!
Then, i applied again in the second year. i was asked some political issues on why my headmaster hired me as a temporary teacher instead of using teachers from Maktab and so on hinting that my headmaster is a bias one, etc. etc. I was stunned at that. And I was rejected.
I put on hold my family plan for 2 years just because KPLI doesn’t allow one to be pregnant while taking the course. So, 2 years gone, empty handed, without the job and any child. it’s unfair.
they want Chinese to teach ONLY mandarin. then, how about those chinese who were from Sek. Kebangsaan like me? I could only teach BM and English, and I got distinction for both the subjects in my SPM and A in BM in STPM. Chinese teach Mandarin. So, who can teach English?