Deputy education minister Lim Hui Ying told the Dewan Negara on March 23 that the ministry was studying the need to hire teaching assistants to reduce the workload of teachers.
The Bernama report, however, did not provide any details.
I’m wondering why the ministry is studying the need to hire teaching assistants in 2023 when it had a pilot project in 2015 where people were recruited to become teaching assistants.
On Oct 26, 2015 then education minister Mahdzir Khalid told the Dewan Rakyat that two pilot projects in Melaka and Kedah under a Teaching Profession Enhancement programme – part of the eighth National Blue Ocean Strategy to ease the burden of teachers – were progressing well.
“On the whole, the implementation of the pilot project has managed to reduce the teachers’ administrative workload,” reports quoted him as saying. Mahdzir added that the programme would be expanded nationwide.
On March 21, 2016, then deputy education minister Chong Sin Woon told the Dewan Rakyat the ministry would only continue with the initiative in Melaka and Kedah due to budget constraints. He said teaching assistants and computer technicians had been hired on a temporary basis under this programme.
The programme, in fact, had been talked about in 2013. Then education minister Muhyiddin Yassin said on Sept 5, 2013, that the government planned to appoint at least one administrative assistant in schools in the country in stages.
“We have decided that 10,000 staff will be appointed in schools in stages so that they can ease the workload of teachers. That means teachers will not be burdened by administrative duties because it will be done by administrative assistants,” Muhyiddin said.
He added that easing the burden of teachers was part of the initiatives contained in the Malaysian Education Development Plan 2013-2025. The plan was launched the following day.
Now, the question is this: What happened to the pilot projects?
This is a classic example of what happens when we have too frequent changes in government or minister. Every new administration or every new minister wants to introduce his own pet programmes. There is not much policy or programme continuity.
I was recently talking to some teachers and they said although there had been some improvement, it was not enough to make much of a difference. They were still overburdened with administrative duties, especially filling up reports.
One teacher told me they were expected to teach for 30 minutes and also fill up reports about what they had taught, the problems faced and how they had handled these.
“This is just one such document which we are required to do up. How am I expected to teach effectively in 30 minutes while also filling up the form which takes time?” she asked.
I can understand the rationale behind this particular requirement: The ministry wants to hold teachers accountable and to know how well they are doing. But doing both in 30 minutes is certainly putting a lot of pressure on teachers.
It’s interesting that after 10 years, the ministry has yet to resolve the complaint that teachers are overloaded with administrative work.
What does it say about the governments, ministers and education administrators who were at the helm of the ministry at least from 2013?
I don’t know if those in authority during this period would agree but I think the ministry failed miserably, at least in this respect. I’m being kind, because most Malaysians feel the education authorities have failed in all respects.
The new government has given notice that it is cognisant of these issues and will work to improve the situation. For instance, the current minister Fadhlina Sidek announced on Feb 18 that the ministry had come up with seven immediate measures focusing on the welfare of teachers, including the pressure faced by them.
It includes the discontinuation of any form of competition, celebration or ceremony that increases the workload of teachers, and reducing the frequency of the review of school management involving teachers under the Malaysian Education Quality Standard to only once a year.
We have to wait and see if these measures will be successful, but as one teacher told me, we should be prepared for disappointment.
“The ministers may come up with any number of innovations but the crux of the matter is how well it is implemented at the school level. I can tell you from my experience that the implementation is mostly flawed.”
Most school heads, she said, were more concerned about promotions and getting a good name; and to show proof of this, increasing school activities and keeping records mattered.
“Pushing the teachers hard is okay but often it involves more paperwork or handling matters unrelated to teaching proper.”
I’m afraid Fadhlina will soon learn that making policies or giving instructions is one thing but getting them implemented is another. She would do well to understand why previous attempts at reducing the workload of teachers had failed miserably and what should be done to make it a success this time. - FMT
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.
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