BN government hires and fires 607 teachers within weeks

An electronic engineering graduate, who was hired to teach mathematics in a government school, received the boot within weeks of starting work.

KUCHING: The Education Ministry’s flip-flop policies has again stoked resentments in Sarawak. This time some 607 who ‘officially’ hired as daily paid teachers in December 2011 were laid off two weeks later without an explanation.

The teachers were hired by school principals based on a government issued circular – Bill. JPS(W)SK2P(Perj)/153/08/05/08/02Jld.18(1) – which was issued on Dec 30, 2011.

The teachers, who were to be paid on a daily basis, started teaching on Jan 3, 2012 when the new school term began.

Barely two weeks after the teachers started work, they were told that their contracts were terminated.

Apparently an e-mail dated Jan 17, 2012 from the Sarawak Education Department to all school principals stated that the earlier circular (issued on Dec 31, 2011) had been revoked.

The 607 daily-paid teachers are now to be replaced by 349 ‘interim’ teachers. However this still left 258 vacancies for teachers in schools.

The terminations came to light after a daily paid teacher Sim Yian Yun from a secondary school in Kuching sought Sarawak DAP secretary Chong Chieng Jen’s assistance.

According to Sim, she was recruited by a principal of a secondary school here to teach mathematics to four Fom Two classes. She said she was asked to report for duty on Jan 3, 2012.

Victims of BN policies

After teaching for two weeks, Sim was informed by the school principal that her contract as daily paid teacher was terminated. She was given only three days’ notice.

Six other teachers from the school also suffered the same fate.

“What is puzzling me is that the authorities terminated my service even though there is no replacement teacher in the school yet,” said Sim.

Although her services have been terminated, Sim has volunteered to continue teaching the more than 100 students in Form Two until the school finds a new teacher. Teaching has always been her ambition, she said.

“I love teaching. To teach has always been my ambition. The principal promised to find money to pay me but how he is going to do it, I don’t know.

“Maybe the money will come from Parent-Teacher Association,” added Sim who holds an electronic engineering degree from the Multimedia University.

Meanwhile a puzzled Chong asked where the 349 ‘interim’ teachers were since the school term is already in operation.

“In the first place, why is there a need to terminate the contract of the serving daily-paid teachers (GSH) and replace them with interim teachers?

“Secondly, why are there only 349 interim teachers to replace 607 GSH whose services are terminated? Who is going to fill up the other vacancies (258)?

“All these GSH are victims of a flip-flop policy of the government. This policy has thus left schools and secondary students without teachers.

“This will a put a strain on the existing teaching staff and ultimately will affect the students’ learning process, “he said.

Revoke termination letters

Chong said he will be writing to Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin about the plight of these daily paid teachers.

“In the interest of justice and fairness, I urge Muhyiddin to revoke the termination letter and re-employ the daily paid teachers,” he said.

Chong, who is also Bandar Kuching MP, also urged the government to provide better employment terms and welfare for the daily paid teachers.

He said over the years the rights of temporary teachers have gradually eroded.

“Initially, they were called ‘Guru Sandaran’. That was changed to ‘Guru Gantian’. Now they are called ‘Guru Sambilan Harian’ (GSH) or daily paid teachers. The GSHs do not even have paid holidays.

“While the government is preaching better treatment for our workers, why are the temporary teachers, especially the GSHs omitted?” asked Chong.

He also pointed out that there was no security of employment for the GSH.

“Even in private sector, there is a minimum notice of termination of service of at least one month, some three months.

“The ministry should treat the GSH with more respect and accord them with the basic workers’ rights in our country.

“After all, when schools are short of teachers, the GSH are the ones who help to teach the students. It is not right for the ministry to treat GSH like dirt when there are replacements,” he said.

Let schools hire

Meanwhile Sarawak Bumiputera Teachers Union president Ahmad Malie wants the government to allow schools to hire their own teachers to fill the void.

“We propose that the ministry empowers schools to appoint their own teachers to fill the void like it was practiced in the past.

“This is for the betterment of the students since schools are already in session,” he said.

Malie said that the shortage of these teachers in Sarawak must be resolved urgently.

He said while the union understood the ministry’s policy to use ‘interim’ teachers to meet immediate needs, it did not however solve the problem in the long run.

“Teachers shortage is still a problem here and we understand the government’s policy to use temporary teachers but it is nt solving the problem.

“Our members are complaining about the extra work load and responsibilities they have to take on from those who are supposed to fill the slot.

“How long can they sit in that position while waiting for the right person to come along?” he said.