Response to Oral Question PL29

Reading Summary

📖 Reading time: 3 minutes
📊 Word count: 497 words

YANG BERHORMAT DAYANG HAJAH SAFIAH BINTI SHEIKH HAJI ABD SALAM

QUESTION:

Yang Berhormat Dayang Hajah Safiah binti Sheikh Haji Abd Salam requests the MINISTER OF EDUCATION to state the Ministry's efforts to address the issue of teachers' workload that affects the quality of teaching and work-life balance, for the benefit of teachers and the quality of education. This matter is based on a survey by Ahli MMN which found that 67% of teachers have more than one administrative task, while 46.3% feel it affects their teaching.

YANG BERHORMAT MENTERI PENDIDIKAN

ANSWER:

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, Yang Berhormat Pehin Yang Di-Pertua, Your Honourable Members, Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh and greetings of peace.

First of all, kaola / I would like to express the highest gratitude and thanks to Yang Berhormat Pehin Yang Di-Pertua for the opportunity given to kaola / me to answer oral question PL29 posed. On this occasion, kaola / I would like to thank Yang Berhormat Dayang Hajah Safiah binti Sheikh Haji Abd Salam for the question regarding the Ministry's efforts in addressing the issue of teachers' workload that affects the quality of teaching and work-life balance, for the benefit of teachers and the quality of education.

The Ministry of Education is always committed to ensuring the welfare and well-being of educators is preserved. This encompasses physical, mental, emotional, and professional aspects to ensure they can carry out their duties and responsibilities more efficiently and effectively. Towards this end, the Ministry of Education has implemented various initiatives including:

i. Inisiatif Ideal Number of Teachers (INOT for short). This initiative is a comprehensive and systematic process of updating the Teaching Manpower Auditing to assess the suitability of the number of educators according to needs to enhance the quality of the learning and teaching process. This initiative includes updating the teaching periods guidelines; non-teaching and administrative duties; and the school organizational structure as well as producing guidelines for class right-sizing.

For the information of Yang Berhormat, this initiative was piloted in 18 Government primary schools in 2021. As a result of this pilot project, a total of 16 educators were successfully relocated to schools in need. Insha Allah, this initiative will be expanded to all Government primary and secondary schools, colleges, and sixth form centers this year.

ii. In addition, the Ministry of Education is actively conducting teacher recruitment through the Immersion and Apprentice Program. This initiative started in 2019 to ensure the effective fulfillment of teaching manpower needs. So far, the Ministry of Education has conducted recruitment for four (04) cohorts, while the recruitment of the fifth (05) cohort will begin in 2025. Since its introduction, the total number of Immersion and Apprentice teachers appointed as Daily Paid Education Officers is 196. The Ministry of Education also undertakes the recruitment of teachers to meet needs, through the Public Service Apprenticeship Scheme (SKiPPA).

With these initiatives, kaola / I am confident they can address the issue of teachers' workload and simultaneously improve their teaching quality and work-life balance.