- nabalunews
REFORMATION OF TEACHER RECRUITMENT SYSTEM VITAL TO COMBAT UNEMPLOYMENT
28 April 2021
Listening to the views of various stakeholders, WISDOM Foundation felt that the Ministry of Education (MOE) needs to seriously consider undertaking reform in the teacher’s recruitment and placement systems with the objective of securing jobs for graduates in education thus closing gaps in demands for the relevant teachers.
According to the 2020 Ministry of Higher Education’s (MOHE) Graduate Tracer Study report, 116,161 fresh graduates in Malaysia will suffer the turmoil of unemployment, even a year after graduating.
Of these 116,161 unemployed fresh graduates, 3.78% or 4,390 are Bachelor of Education graduates as determined by Gerakan Graduan Pendidikan Universiti Awam (GGPUA) in a study based on figures between 2011 till 2020.
The MOE has clearly failed in its duty to ensure there’s no mismatch in the supply and demand of teachers.
To make the situation even worse, non-Bachelor of Education graduates are recruited as interim teachers under the Teach for Malaysia (TFM) Fellowship programme.
As if it’s not enough, Bachelor of Education graduates face difficulty in employment by non-education employers from fear of graduates resigning given the chance to become an Education Service Officer (Pegawai Perkhidmatan Pendidikan, PPP) grade DG41.
Primary school teaching jobs should be open to Bachelor of Education graduates as well, not limited to graduates from the Malaysian Institute of Teacher Education (Institut Pendidikan Guru Malaysia, IPGM)
Furthermore, adjustments are necessary to the Short-Term Employment Programme (MYStep) to permit the intake of Bachelor of Education graduates as a replacement or contracted teachers while waiting for interview calls from the Education Service Commission (ESC).
Minor educational options should not be excluded in the consideration of PPP DG41 recruitment, for example, graduates with minors in Kadazandusun Language, Mandarin Language, Tamil Language, Iban Language are in need in schools that are offering these subjects.
A Bachelor of Education degree should be made a mandatory requirement to be a teacher to ensure that teachers are passionate and committed in the teaching profession.
The efficiency and relevance of the mySPP by the ESC can be increased further by introducing available minor subjects in their system that can be taught by graduates aside from the major options.
Hence, mismatches in supply and demand can thus be averted and diminished.
We strongly urge the MOE to take immediate action to prevent further degeneration in quality education and the futures of hopeful teachers for years to come.
DATUK SERI PANGLIMA WILFRED MADIUS TANGAU
Executive Chairperson
WISDOM Foundation
