SPOTS for the Bachelor of Education (PISMP) programme specifically for Chinese vernacular schools will be increased two-fold this year, allowing more to become teachers, Sin Chew Daily reported.
Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh announced that there will be 1,678 spots available this year, which is a 114% increase from only 784 spots in 2024.
He said this was a significant breakthrough, especially for educationist groups such as the United Chinese School Committees Association (Dong Zong), who have always highlighted the lack of teachers at Chinese vernacular schools.
“The Education Ministry is determined to ensure there are enough teachers in schools. No matter if it is SK, SJKC or SJKT, as long as it is an issue with a lack of teachers, we will listen to everyone’s suggestions and come up with the best policy to provide a long-term solution,” he said.
Of the 1,678 spots, 105 were specifically allocated to train teachers to teach the Chinese language subject, which is a 250% increase from just 30 the year before, Wong said.
Furthermore, the programme is now open to Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) holders in addition to graduates from Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and Unified Examination Certificate (UEC), he said. Candidates applying with STPM must have a minimum Gred Purata Sekolah of 3.5 whereas SPM graduates need 5As in addition to a credit in Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese language.
Applications are open until March 16.
> With new marriages in China at a 40-year low, some photographers are starting to receive more photoshoot bookings for divorces than weddings, China Press reported.
According to Zhiwei, a photographer in Shanghai, he received his first request for a divorce photoshoot in 2024 where he had to accompany the couple to the Home Affairs bureau to complete their divorce paperwork.
After that, he was asked to take photos of the couple taking a walk and bidding farewell to each other.
Zhiwei posted the photos on his social media and was surprised to be inundated by messages from women aged between 30 and 35 requesting divorce photography services.
“Right now, my business for divorce photoshoots has exceeded weddings,” he said.
According to Zhiwei, most of them were amicable divorces and the couples were forced to separate because of financial reasons or have met with disapproval from their families.
Ajie, another photographer based in Sichuan, said he has been receiving bookings for divorce photoshoots since 2023.
However, for such bookings, he would always ask for the fee upfront.
“I am afraid that once the divorce turns sour, I will not get my payment,” he said.
The above article is compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with this ' >'sign, it denotes a separate news item.
