200 Problematic Teachers Identified. Tip Of The Iceberg?

The Education Ministry had identified 200 problematic teachers up to May this year for action to be taken, the Dewan Rakyat was told Thursday.

Its Deputy Minister Datuk Noh Omar said that from the figure, 37 per cent were for being absent from work, 17 per cent for outraging modesty or sexual harassment, 15 per cent for corruption, and 10.5 per cent for misconduct 10.5, dishonesty and failure to adhere to directives.

Another 9.5 per cent were found to be involved in drugs, six per cent in theft, seven per cent in Syariah 'offences' and one per cent in serious indebtedness.

"Out of the figure (200 cases), we have managed to solve 81 cases," he said in reply to Datuk Mat Yasir Ikhsan (BN-Sabak Bernam) who had asked on efforts to improve the image of the teaching profession, the number of problematic teachers and action taken.

Noh said the action taken by the ministry included dismissal (22 cases), pay cut (17), withdrawal of emolument (17), warning (10), administrative measures (8), downgrading (2) and holding back of salary (1).

He said to tackle the issue, the ministry's Human Resources Division's Counselling and Empowering Unit had taken various measures including a programme of prevention and rehabilitation.

Noh said that up to April this year, 88 officers and staff under the ministry were referred to the unit for counselling to reorientate them. (Bernama)

***** The above is a semuanya ok claim and is meant for PR purposes. But alas, 200 is a totally misleading number. A conservative estimate should put the true figure in at least the thousands. The deputy minister has not given any statistics regarding mentally ill teachers. That would substantially and dramatically boost the tally given above. Or perhaps the ministry does not consider these teachers problematic!

What about those who have been stressed and disappointed by the lopsided promotion policies currently being practised by the education department? Would not the deserving ones who have been regularly bypassed in promotion exercises be unnecessarily stressed and justifiably dissatisfied and will this not make for poor performance? Shouldn't this group too strictly come under the ambit of 'problematic' teachers? These are my feelings on the deputy minister's claims. Of course I could be mistaken. Those in the know I'm sure, could enlighten us.
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