Let teachers go back to teaching, govt urged

 

Magpie chairman Mak Chee Kin says schools should hire teaching assistants to help with administrative tasks and in classrooms with a large number of students.

PETALING JAYA: Parents have urged the government to reduce administrative work for teachers to enable them to spend more time in the classroom.

Teachers now feel overworked because they have to spend a lot of time sorting out tons of paperwork, according to two parent interest groups.

Such work is pointless and redundant, according to the Melaka Action Group for Parents in Education (Magpie) and the Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE).

Magpie chairman Mak Chee Kin told FMT that administrative tasks, unnecessary programmes, excessive documentation and co-curricular activities have made it difficult for teachers to meet their core mission, which is teaching.

Mak Chee Kin.

He suggested that schools hire teaching assistants to help with the administrative tasks and in classrooms with large enrolments to give teachers time to prepare for lessons.

“Teachers can only be well-prepared if they have more time to plan, innovate and implement their syllabus,” Mak said.

“We should also consider giving teachers more freedom to devise lesson plans without school administrators and the education ministry monitoring them too closely,” he added.

FMT recently reported that parents are losing confidence in the national education system.

A father said educators are often overwhelmed by their workload, rendering them unable to meet the individual needs of their students.

Fouzi Singon.

The National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) said that aside from the endless paperwork, teachers are also required to attend various school-related functions that pull them away from working on their teaching materials.

“Teachers are sent for meetings with state education heads as well as national and regional sports events as coaches. Sometimes, they are gone for days,” NUTP press secretary Fouzi Singon said.

Better training, better outcome

PAGE chairman Noor Azimah Rahim suggested that teachers be sent for courses regularly to enable them to keep pace with the constant evolution of the education landscape.

Noor Azimah Rahim.

“It is better to have good teachers than a great curriculum,” she said.

However, she noted, upskilling courses for teachers are few and far between, forcing them to learn new teaching methods on their own time.

But when regular training programmes are not available, schools should foster a culture of collaboration among teachers, Azimah told FMT.

“They can support one another by sharing resources and strategies,” she added.

Azimah said school heads should also create platforms for teachers to share their work and experiences.

“This symbiotic approach will ultimately lead to better learning outcomes for students,” she added. - FMT