KOTA KINABALU: Sabahan teachers must be allowed to serve its people and enjoy similar incentives as their counterparts in the peninsula.Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Joseph Pairin Kitingan in stressing this said local teachers were more familiar with the environment, culture, customs and tradition in Sabah, and would be more suited to prepare the younger generation for future challenges.
“Allowing them to serve in Sabah would also save the government’s money in transferring Sabah-trained teachers to Peninsular Malaysia. Besides, if you provide them with other necessary incentives to serve in the state, I am sure they will teach with full commitment and dedication,” said the Infrastructure Development Minister.
Speaking after witnessing the handing over of duties between outgoing Infrastructure Development Ministry’s permanent secretary Datuk Pg Hassanel Datuk Pg Mohd Tahir to Datuk Felix Madan at the Public Works Department office, yesterday, Pairin added that local teachers would also be able to fully concentrate on their job knowing that it was their responsibility to prepare and provide the future with trained manpower for the development of Sabah, as part of Malaysia.
Pairin was commenting on the recent statement by the newly appointed State Education Department director, Dr Muhiddin Yusin, who took over from outgoing Datuk Normah Gagoh.
Muhiddin had pointed out that there was a time when 1,000 Sabah-trained teachers were transferred to the peninsula.
He also said that every three years, Sabah would lose between 500 and 700 teachers who returned to Peninsular Malaysia, thus causing shortage of teachers in the state.
“I hope we will be able to work together and play our role to obtain the federal government’s attention on the necessary funding and allocation to overcome whatever shortcomings that have been spelt out and other shortcomings which needed to be pursued.”
Pairin also congratulated Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun for highlighting a request for a list of the relatively high-performing schools in Sabah.
“This has come in a very opportune time in view of the launching by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on the Government Transformation Programme, and the announcement of the Deputy Prime Minister cum Education Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, regarding the 20 high performing schools in the country, whereby it is clear that Sabah and Sarawak schools are no way near the picture,” said Pairin.
Describing it as a ‘pathetic picture’ and teachers from both states felt insulted with the issue, Pairin added Masidi had looked at the situation positively and requested for a full list of the relatively high-performing schools and was of the view that the schools in the state could not be at par with the others as we strove harder to fulfill the criteria set by the Education Ministry.
“I admire the positive and brave attitude that our Sabah Education-in-charge Minister (Masidi) put up in response to the scenario of how much reward and freedom to spend and manage within those 20 high-performing schools. This is the first I have heard of such competition,” said Pairin.
He believed that if Sabah and Sarawak were given an inkling into the said ‘competition’ and the ‘million reward’, the states would be able to strive harder despite the many handicaps that these schools were facing.
Touching on facilities and infrastructures of schools in Sabah, especially in the rural areas, he agreed with the statement made by Muhiddin that it was sill poor.
“We do not have enough of the necessary tools, facilities and infrastructures, so on the competition point of view, how can we compete, how can this be fair to the schools in Sabah and Sarawak?
“It is time the National Key Result Area (NKRA) principle be applied to top schools in Sabah and Sarawak, particularly, schools in the rural areas,” he said.