Ahmad Malie
KUCHING: Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi has announced that Sarawak Bumiputera Teachers Union (KGBS) is not allowed to make recommendations to the ministry on the appointment of substitute teachers for Sarawak schools.
On Sunday, a national newspaper carried a report that the Ministry of Education (MOE) had rejected the recommendation put forward by KGBS to solve teacher shortages in the state.
KGBS president Ahmad Malie, who conveyed the announcement, told The Borneo Post yesterday they were glad the ministry had noted their call and the seriousness of teacher shortage in Sarawak.
“It is the union’s concern and we try our best to solve the problem as it affects many schools in Sarawak, especially when we do not have enough teachers to teach core subjects,” Malie said.
“Whether KGBS recommen-dations were accepted or not does not matter but the most important is we have performed our role as a concerned union. We hope MOE remains updated on the teacher shortage problem in Sarawak.”
He urged the ministry to find a solution that would not adversely affect the welfare of students and the learning environment as a whole.
“The union does not want the issue to linger on, especially if there is no solution,” he added.
The union agreed with MOE’s efforts to expedite the appointment of interim teachers as a current step to address the teacher shortage in Sarawak.
“This proves that the MOE is sensitive to the concerns voiced by teachers’ unions and we hope the Deputy Minister of Education gives his full commitment to resolving the issue quickly,” he said.