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Teachers’ union wants written time contracts for rural teachers
By Peter Boon

SIBU: The Sarawak Teachers’ Union (STU) urges the Ministry of Education to provide written contracts to teachers deployed to rural schools, stating clearly their posting duration and related conditions.

Its president William Ghani Bina said this would help to allay fears among teachers that their postings would be permanent.

Ghani said a ‘carrot’ such as merit points should be dangled in front to encourage teachers to teach in rural schools.

“The formal contract gives assurance to teachers that they would be transferred back to town upon expiry of the posting duration,” he told a press conference after the ‘Majlis Ramah Tamah Aidilfitri’ at a hotel here on Friday night.

The function was jointly organised by STU Sarawak and its Sibu branch.

Speaking from experience, he believed that teachers are more willing or dare to be posted to rural schools if they have the time frame stated specifically in contract forms or other types of assurances.

He pointed out that not many teachers are willing to teach in rural schools as they are uncertain if they would ever be posted to urban or semi-urban areas.

As a result, Ghani said, some rural teachers are required to serve longer than they would prefer because they have no replacements.

“The contract would give them a peace of mind, allowing them to impart their knowledge to students effectively.

“This would help free up their minds when they ask to be transferred, or apply for leave to return home.”

On the duration of rural postings, he suggested during their recent meeting with the director-general of education Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom that the minimum be three years.

“One year would be unfair to the government. On the other hand, it should not be too long; not more than five years.”

Ghani stressed that teachers must be treated humanely as they train children to become quality human capital.

Asked whether the proposal to have contracts for the redeployment of teachers to rural schools had been approved, he said the ministry had agreed to it in principle.

About the deployment criteria, he pointed out that fresh graduates would be given top priority.

This would be followed by single male teachers, single female teachers, and newly married couples and so on.

Ghani recalled that the criteria were highlighted during the last Sept 4 meeting attended by representatives of 24 teachers’ unions, secondary school principal association and primary school headmaster association.

The president also dwelled on yearly merit points for teachers serving in rural schools, which he strongly felt would motivate them to perform well and boost their morale. Ghani explained that these merit points would be considered when it comes to promotion or even application for scholarships.

Turning to financial matters, he said STU also proposed to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is also Finance Minister, to consider giving all civil servants a month’s bonus (minimum RM1,000) each from the coming budget.

The ‘Bantuan Khas’ which non-graduate teachers received earlier should form part of the proposed bonus, he said, stressing that they were not asking for anything extra.

“We consider the RM500 in ‘Bantuan Khas’ given out earlier as part of the bonus. This means that, for example, if your salary is RM1,000, then you get RM500 and not RM1,500,” he clarified.

This, he said, was important to understand so as not to create any dissatisfaction among graduate and non-graduate teachers.

On the economic front, he reckoned that the giving of bonuses would help stimulate the economy as people would have more purchasing power. For that, he hoped that private sector having a workforce of about 10 million people, will also give out bonus.

“When 10 million people are given better purchasing power, imagine what it can do for our economy,” he summed up.

Earlier, organising chairman Hii Nai Tong also spoke at the function.

The night was brightened up with lucky draws and karaoke singing. fresh graduates would be given top priority.

This would be followed by single male teachers, single female teachers, and newly married couples and so on.

Ghani recalled that the criteria were highlighted during the last Sept 4 meeting attended by representatives of 24 teachers’ unions, secondary school principal association and primary school headmaster association.

The president also dwelled on yearly merit points for teachers serving in rural schools, which he strongly felt would motivate them to perform well and boost their morale. Ghani explained that these merit points would be considered when it comes to promotion or even application for scholarships.

Turning to financial matters, he said STU also proposed to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is also Finance Minister, to consider giving all civil servants a month’s bonus (minimum RM1,000) each from the coming budget.

The ‘Bantuan Khas’ which non-graduate teachers received earlier should form part of the proposed bonus, he said, stressing that they were not asking for anything extra.

“We consider the RM500 in ‘Bantuan Khas’ given out earlier as part of the bonus. This means that, for example, if your salary is RM1,000, then you get RM500 and not RM1,500,” he clarified.

This, he said, was important to understand so as not to create any dissatisfaction among graduate and non-graduate teachers.

On the economic front, he reckoned that the giving of bonuses would help stimulate the economy as people would have more purchasing power. For that, he hoped that private sector having a workforce of about 10 million people, will also give out bonus.

“When 10 million people are given better purchasing power, imagine what it can do for our economy,” he summed up.

Earlier, organising chairman Hii Nai Tong also spoke at the function.

The night was brightened up with lucky draws and karaoke singing.