BAU, July 27: The teaching fraternity lost a good teacher in Catherine Janet Tiwi, who perished in a fire tragedy at SK Batu Bungan, Mulu, on Wednesday.
Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching said the 25-year-old’s demise would be a great loss to the Education Ministry. She explained that many people wanted to be teachers but not many were willing to serve in the rural areas like Catherine, who chose to serve in the interiors.
“We definitely lack of teachers like that. Many desire to be teachers but not many want or willing to go to rural areas,” Teo told reporters after paying her last respects to Catherine at Kampung Skio, Bau, today.
During her one-day trip to Sarawak, Teo also visited the two other victims of SK Batu Bungan teachers’ quarters fire, which broke out on July 25. She then flew to SK Batu Bungan to look at the site of the fire, before travelling to the state capital.
Teo said she would bring the issue faced by SK Batu Bungan and other schools in Sarawak to the Federal Government to ensure there would not be a repeat of such an incident.
According to early investigation reports, it is understood that faulty wiring of the teachers’ quarters, in which Catherine and her two colleagues were living, had caused the fire. — DayakDaily
