PETALING JAYA: While it will take some time before the teachers’ allowance can be raised, the National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) is hoping that two of its proposals that had been granted by the previous administration will be implemented effectively.
“These have absolutely no financial implications,” said its president Aminuddin Awang on the proposal for headmasters on Grade DG48 not to be “downgraded” to senior assistants or ordinary teachers in primary schools once they were promoted to Grades DG52 and DG54 on a time-based excellence basis.
The other proposal, he said, was for DG48 teachers in primary schools to be given the opportunity to be appointed assistant senior teachers.
He was commenting on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement on Tuesday that the government would prioritise increasing the teachers’ allowance but this would be decided only after the country’s revenue had increased.
He said this when launching the Teachers Day celebration at the Melaka International Trade Centre.
He also said that he had requested the Education Minister set up a special task force to encourage students to take up science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Aminuddin agreed that more effort was needed to promote interest in STEM or Malaysia would risk falling behind in technology.
He, however, said there had been previous similar initiatives by the ministry to promote STEM but failed to attract students.
Teacher Mohd Al Khalifa Mohd Affnan of Keningau Vocational College, Sabah, said there were persistent challenges such as limited funds and a lack of coordination between multiple organisations that promote STEM.
“While teachers play the main role in enabling their students to engage in STEM activities, promoting extracurricular activities related to STEM disciplines is also an additional burden for teachers who already have a multitude of responsibilities in school,” he said.
He recommended schools streamline administrative tasks and embrace digitalisation so that teachers have more time for STEM initiatives.
He also suggested the government consider implementing a reward-based system that recognises and celebrates achievements within schools so that teachers feel valued, motivated and empowered in their roles.
Special allowances should be provided for teachers with exceptional performance, he added.
“Acknowledging and incentivising teachers’ efforts can be a catalyst for their continued dedication and performance, and also reinforce a culture of excellence within educational institutions,” said the English language teacher.
He also recommended investing in the professional growth of teachers through training opportunities and collaboration among educators.
Prioritising these aspects would benefit both the education system and the students, he added.
