[ad_1]
A TEACHER GROUP found themselves in limbo after completing a two-year vacation teacher training course.
After a long wait for the ministry’s confirmation interview, they learned that the Education Services Commission (SPP) was unaware of their existence. The “forgotten teachers” then sought the help of Sin Chew Daily to highlight their situation and draw the attention of Deputy Minister of Education Datuk, Dr. Mah Hang Soon.
Those affected are known to include 60 to 70 temporary teachers in Chinese primary schools and around 100 religious teachers in national primary schools.
In a joint letter to the paper, the group said the recent dispute between Mah and his predecessor Teo Nie Ching over the shortage of teaching staff in Chinese primary schools was “funny and sad at the same time.”
“Lately, some Chinese groups were concerned that the quota for the Ministry of Education’s Bachelor of Teaching program (Chinese language for primary education) was not being fully used.
“In fact, there are many people who aspire to become Chinese primary school teachers but are being ignored,” the letter says, adding that the “forgotten teachers” are one such example.
These teachers had already taught in Chinese primary schools for at least two to three years before joining the holiday teacher training program in November 2017.
They graduated in August 2019 and only needed to pass the SPP interview to be confirmed as teachers. His agonizing wait for the interview was compounded by this year’s motion control order (MCO).
When the restrictions were eased and the SPP resumed the interview sessions, they thought they would finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, only to be disappointed every time a new group of graduates was called and their names were not included in any of the lists. .
They have written many times to the ministry and the SPP, but were told to wait. The last information they got was that the SPP was not aware of this group of teachers.
Read this story on our iPaper: ‘Forgotten Masters’ seek redress
[ad_2]
