Early retirement applications by teachers should be evaluated before approval, says exco rep

IPOH: Early retirement applications by teachers should be evaluated first before being approved, says Khairudin Abu Hanipah.

The Perak Education Committee chairman said early retirement could cause the loss of good and experienced teachers, especially as schools nationwide were facing a shortage.

"Some have their own expertise, and when they retire, it will be gone and hard to replace.

"Some are good in practical aspects while others have their own teaching methods," he said at a press conference after launching a 3R (Read, Record, Reward) programme at the Dato' Seri Husni Public Library in Chemor near here on Wednesday (June 21).

"Those taking over may not be as good, so we need to reconsider their applications," he added.

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek recently said the government is working to address the shortage of teachers to cope with the educational needs of the nation.

Khairudin also said that while he did not have the statistics at hand, he understood that there were many applications opting for early retirement compared to those who are on compulsory retirement in the state.

"There are various factors. Some may need to care for an ailing spouse or aged parents, some cannot cope with newer, more dynamic teaching methods and others may not be comfortable using new technology and could no longer contribute," he said.

"Some also cited that they were no longer interested in the profession," he added.