Teachers - The Nation's Wealth.

Teachers are obliged to "serve beyond the call of duty" and carry out their tasks with commitment and dedication. So says Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib. As educators, the teachers played a crucial role because education formed an important channel and strategy in churning out quality human capital. He said education was a continuous process which exceeded self-transformation to create a professional work force and human capital of high integrity.

Teachers must have the will and patience in eradicating illiteracy with the right teaching mentality. Much could be done by the teachers in serving the people not only in school but also outside the school. "If we are to eliminate illiteracy among students, we are required to teach with patience and we should not be easily despondent. When we face a stubborn pupil, we must be patient so that he or she can read and write" he adviced.

Therefore he called upon teachers to develop their mind and not to waste time on things which do not bring any benefit. The Deputy Prime Minister said the government would continue to look after the welfare of teachers by providing comfortable living quarters including in the remote areas.

It is of course very reassuring to have no less than the DPM expressing his support as well as providing advice to teachers. I'm sure that most teachers will have no problems with serving 'beyond the call of duty' as he so well put it. However when good intentions clash with ground realities then problems surface and most of these are not of the teachers' making.

There are devilish civil servants sitting in the ministry in Putrajaya as well as the state capitals and every district education office. Their express purpose is to create as many problems and place as many hurdles to the simple resolution of day to day issues faced by members of the teaching profession. Their day will not be complete if they don't put at least several teachers' lives in dire straits. It is to this group that the DPM has to focus his advice while reiterating his support for teachers and remind them of the consequences of unnecessarily burdening or subjecting teachers to needless pressure.

Another grouse, like that of other government staff, is that of unfair promotion exercises that sideline dedicated teachers and reward mediocrity. Too many cases of this injustice have occurred to dismiss them as coincidence. Teachers too have been forced to split their time into being office boys, clerks, counsellors and jacks of many trades instead of being allowed to concentrate on their chosen vocation. The time and resource wasting mesyuarat and kursus are also hindrances that they can do without.

It would be wonderful if all these problems could somehow be wished away and teachers could teach as in the good old days. Then we'll have genuinely good performances by a majority of pupils without having to lower exam standards or the pass mark.