‘Terminated’ daily-paid teacher in a quandary
Posted on February 2, 2012, Thursday
SEEKING REINSTATEMENT: Sim (right) and Chong (centre) fielding questions at the press conference. Also seen is Padungan assemblyman Wong King Wei.
KUCHING: Daily-paid teacher (GSH) Sim Yian Yun was appalled when the Education Department sent her a pre-Chinese New Year ‘gift’ which states that her teaching contract had been terminated.
What irked Sim the most was that she was only given a three-day notice, and no reason whatsoever was given for the termination.
Troubled by the unfair treatment dished out on her by the department, she knocked on the doors of Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen yesterday to seek justice.
Sim told reporters that she only started teaching Mathematics to four classes of Form 2 students on Jan 2 this year.
“What is puzzling is that they terminated my service even though there is no replacement teacher posted in the school yet.”
She claimed that six other GSH teachers also suffered the same fate as hers.
Although she had been given the marching orders, Sim is still teaching at the same school, but on a voluntary basis as she was concerned about her students. She has also filed an appeal to the department for her termination to be rescinded.
“If we (six GSH) were to leave on Jan 21, as stated on the termination notice, all the classes under us will have no teachers. The students will be affected. We are now teaching on a voluntary basis, although we are not sure if we will get paid or not.
“Maybe our salary will be paid by the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA).”
Sim claimed that she was staying put because teaching was in her blood.
“I will continue teaching while awaiting a response from my appeal, which YB Chong is helping me to write.”
Chong, who is also Kota Sentosa assemblyman, said it had been reported last month that a total of 607 GSH in the state would be laid off, but they would be replaced with only 349 interim teachers.
He said this would definitely put a strain on the existing teaching staff, and eventually the students would be affected.
“The first circular was issued on Dec 30 last year authorising school principals to engage GSH, and then on Jan 18 another circular was issued to state that the previous circular has been withdrawn.
“In the first place, why is
there a need to terminate the contract of the serving GSHs and replace them with interim teachers? Why are there only 349 interim teachers to replace 607 GSHs whose services are terminated?”
Chong alleged that the rights and welfare of temporary teachers had been gradually eroding in recent years.
“GSH do not have paid holidays. While the government is preaching better treatment for our workers, why are the temporary teachers, especially the GSHs, omitted?”
On the short termination notice, Chong said even those in the private sector enjoyed at least a one-month termination notice.
