TEACHERS’ INSURANCE SCHEME: Ghani (left) gives insurance forms to Etiqa Takaful Kuching Branch assistant vice president Freddy Wong. Looking on are some STU members.Parents showing bad example: STU
By Mabel Sim
Ghani says while children are taught unity, adults take to the streets harping on sensitive issues
KUCHING: Teachers are among the saddest people in the country because while they teach their students about racial unity, peace and harmony, the opposite is happening outside the school gates.
During the closing of STU 19th Biennial Delegates’ Conference yesterday, Sarawak Teachers’ Union (STU) president William Ghani observed that people were using the littlest of excuses to touch on sensitive issues such as those related to race and religion.
“Parents involved in such issues would influence their children,” he said.
“Teachers are forced to live two lives – noble values to children in school, and do different things elsewhere.
“Hence, I call on our leaders not to harp on negative racial and religious issues so as not to influence children,” he said.
Mindful that teachers are catalysts in the country’s human capital development as outlined in the five-year Master Education Development Plan of the Ministry of Education, the union’s 19th delegates’ conference came up with 10 resolutions.
The first is to continuously seek recognition from the Ministry of Education in conducting workshops and seminars to upgrade the skills of its members.
The second is to negotiate with the ministry to further enhance the relevance of proficiency evaluation by implementing the real spirit of continuous life-long learning and professional development.
STU will register the concerns of members as well as administrative personnel concerning education and extension of service beyond the mandatory retirement age because the education fraternity lacks a comprehensive and coordinated succession plan.
Also they urged the Minister of Education to ensure that professional and administrative functions are allocated to personnel who have been trained for the job and that the deployment of teachers are managed by the director-general of education who has been designated as Head of Education Service under the Education Act 1996.
They also want the minister to streamline the role of counselling and guidance teachers so that they are able to perform their role of providing pastoral and guidance services to students.
The sixth resolution urges the minister to grant greater autonomy to schools to implement flexi-time tabling as well as alternative curriculum based on the needs of students in varying locations in the country while adhering to the aspiration of the national curriculum.
On promotion and deployment of personnel, they want prompt coordination based on state and regional needs and that greater empowerment be granted to the State Education Department.
More teachers’ aides should be recruited and trained to perform non-teaching duties as proposed by a study on teachers’ workload in 2006 headed by the former secretary-general of education.
In return, STU will help the ministry to ensure that special education is given due attention so that locals will respond to various programmes planned for special children.
STU will also help the ministry to achieve the six strategic thrust outlined in the Education Master Plan 2006-2010 by conducting road shows, seminars and workshops as well as e-forums through the union’s web community.
“Teaching is a good profession. With a teacher, a person is formed. Without a teacher there will be no leaders.
“We are the determinate factor in all things in the world,” William concluded.
Ghani says while children are taught unity, adults take to the streets harping on sensitive issues
KUCHING: Teachers are among the saddest people in the country because while they teach their students about racial unity, peace and harmony, the opposite is happening outside the school gates.
During the closing of STU 19th Biennial Delegates’ Conference yesterday, Sarawak Teachers’ Union (STU) president William Ghani observed that people were using the littlest of excuses to touch on sensitive issues such as those related to race and religion.
“Parents involved in such issues would influence their children,” he said.
“Teachers are forced to live two lives – noble values to children in school, and do different things elsewhere.
“Hence, I call on our leaders not to harp on negative racial and religious issues so as not to influence children,” he said.
Mindful that teachers are catalysts in the country’s human capital development as outlined in the five-year Master Education Development Plan of the Ministry of Education, the union’s 19th delegates’ conference came up with 10 resolutions.
The first is to continuously seek recognition from the Ministry of Education in conducting workshops and seminars to upgrade the skills of its members.
The second is to negotiate with the ministry to further enhance the relevance of proficiency evaluation by implementing the real spirit of continuous life-long learning and professional development.
STU will register the concerns of members as well as administrative personnel concerning education and extension of service beyond the mandatory retirement age because the education fraternity lacks a comprehensive and coordinated succession plan.
Also they urged the Minister of Education to ensure that professional and administrative functions are allocated to personnel who have been trained for the job and that the deployment of teachers are managed by the director-general of education who has been designated as Head of Education Service under the Education Act 1996.
They also want the minister to streamline the role of counselling and guidance teachers so that they are able to perform their role of providing pastoral and guidance services to students.
The sixth resolution urges the minister to grant greater autonomy to schools to implement flexi-time tabling as well as alternative curriculum based on the needs of students in varying locations in the country while adhering to the aspiration of the national curriculum.
On promotion and deployment of personnel, they want prompt coordination based on state and regional needs and that greater empowerment be granted to the State Education Department.
More teachers’ aides should be recruited and trained to perform non-teaching duties as proposed by a study on teachers’ workload in 2006 headed by the former secretary-general of education.
In return, STU will help the ministry to ensure that special education is given due attention so that locals will respond to various programmes planned for special children.
STU will also help the ministry to achieve the six strategic thrust outlined in the Education Master Plan 2006-2010 by conducting road shows, seminars and workshops as well as e-forums through the union’s web community.
“Teaching is a good profession. With a teacher, a person is formed. Without a teacher there will be no leaders.
“We are the determinate factor in all things in the world,” William concluded.