By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 5: The teacher recruitment system in Sarawak must be reviewed as there are some weaknesses, particularly in the State’s special recruitment process, says Sarawak Teachers’ Union (STU) president, Kullin Djayang.
In a statement, he made this call to the Education Services Commission (SPP), explaining that since the implementation of special teacher recruitment drive in Sarawak, the ‘rushed’ recruitment process has led to many candidates with education degrees from private colleges being placed in schools across the State.
“If we want to ensure there are enough teachers, it does not mean that any candidate with an education degree can simply be recruited.
“The selection panel must refer to the institutions of higher learning (IPTs) where the student studied. If it is from a public IPT (IPTA), we can be assured of the quality of the degree and the candidate because, to enter IPTAs for education degree programmes, a minimum CGPA of 3.0 and MUET Band 3 are required, along with passing the Malaysian Educators Selection Inventory (MEDSI) test.
“Similarly, students selected for IPG (Teacher Education Institutes) under the Bachelor of Teaching Degree Programme (PISMP) must have a minimum of 5As in SPM and pass Teachers Education Qualification Test (UKELP) or Psychometric tests, physical fitness tests, and special interviews.
“All of this is done to ensure quality future educators, which indirectly uplifts the dignity of the teaching profession and produces high-quality human capital,” he said.
He expressed concerns about the recruitment of graduates from private IPTs because many of them did not undergo essential tests, nor did they go through the special teacher interview process.
“SPM and STPM results are often not prioritised for entry into private IPTs, unlike IPTAs and IPGs that require a minimum of 5As at the SPM level or a CGPA of 3.0 at the STPM level along with MUET.
“We are not accusing any specific private colleges, but we in STU urge the SPP, which has the authority in teacher recruitment, to assess and evaluate whether these colleges meet the standards of proper teacher training,” he said. — DayakDaily
