Decline in teaching quality: ‘Ministry’s fault’

NUTP claims the extra data entry work and the new teaching system hinders quality teaching.

PETALING JAYA: Teachers are unable to provide quality education to students and the fault lies squarely on the Education Ministry which appears to be bogging them down with paper work.

The National Union for Teaching Profession (NUTP) president Hashim Adnan in a phone interview with FMT said that teachers today are given more paper work because ministry officials are interested in obtaining data.

Hashim said that teachers are required to do data entry by keying in individual marks which is not only time consuming but stresses them up too.

“This exercise is on-going and teachers do it until 3 or 4 in the morning to meet a dateline. Any delay by individual teachers would affect the entire group of teachers because students’ cumulative grades cannot be obtained,” he explained.

He criticised the system as a “bad system that promotes plagiarism” among teachers.

Teachers are also required to teach and finish the syllabus without the benefit of having replacement teachers.

Under a system called Melindungi Masa Instructional (MMI) that began in April this year, a teacher must complete the syllabus for the year without having the benefit of a replacement teacher.

“Who is going to teach students if teachers are required to attend meetings and sports? Under MMI, teachers have to rush and complete teaching their syllabus.

“This system hinders teachers from developing young minds.

“Without the MMI, teachers have promoted quality education and this can be seen from the number of students who went on to further their tertiary education abroad,” said Hashim.

He also had a message for the Education Ministry.

“If you want us to provide quality education, leave the teaching to teachers and do not burden or mess us up with other things. A teacher’s duty is to teach, not do data entry.”

Moving at snail’s pace

When asked if the union is meeting the ministry to raise these issues, Hashim revealed that the ministry is rather reluctant to obtain feedback from the union.

“Our meetings move at a snail’s pace and there are very little chances for possible changes.  The ministry officials must be bold and open hearted in accepting our input.

“Only then can they develop a system that works. We can tell them what works and what don’t,” said Hashim.

He added that while NUTP is willing to work with the ministry to enhance the quality of education in schools, it is the ministry that has to call the shots.

“If the ministry decides not to consider our feedback, there is nothing that we can do.”