Fadhlina: Govt taking various steps to prevent teachers from retiring early

The Education Ministry has undertaken various approaches and mechanisms to boost the spirit and motivation of teachers to prevent them from opting for early retirement.

Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the ministry took a serious view of the issue but would still give the teachers involved the space to decide.

"We constantly create various mechanisms to boost their spirit… as well as management related to promotion.

"So, from time to time, we have such programmes. But I think that those who want to retire early, it means they choose to do so based on factors like health issues, no interest (to continue) and family matters,” she told reporters when met after surveying the Sungai Duri night market yesterday.

Also present was Pakatan Harapan candidate for the Sungai Bakap state by-election Joohari Ariffin.

Fadhlina, however, is confident that the issue of thousands of teachers opting for early retirement won't affect the country's education system as this is a “come and go” issue.

She said that 98 percent of the vacancies nationwide had been filled through close cooperation with the Education Service Commission.

"God-willing, we have several approaches, namely graduate teachers from Teacher Education Institutes (IPG), then we have contract of service (COS) appointments which we take from time to time according to needs,” she said.

No longer interested

Earlier yesterday, Fadhlina, in a written reply in Dewan Rakyat said the main cause cited by teachers opting for early retirement in the past three years was they were no longer interested in continuing with their career.

She said that was the response of 72.36 percent of the 4,300 to 6,300 teachers who opted for early retirement during that period.

- Bernama