Fadli Salleh, a mathematics teacher at Sekolah Kebangsaan (1) Gombak also complained, on Facebook, that there is not enough time to cover the entire syllabus.
“I was only speaking honestly. The syllabus is too dense and advanced. There are too many students in each class and they have to learn many other subjects, so the time spent on core subjects, such as mathematics is too short.
“Why does the education ministry want to sack me. Is it because I am speaking the truth? They can’t handle the truth. They only want to hear flattery and compliments,” he said.
Fadli said before he decided to speak about the issue on social media, he had reached out to the education ministry through all the proper channels but received no response.
He even queried about the matter during the syllabus upgrading session for mathematics at the district education office in Gombak, which involved over 30 mathematics teachers and officers.
“They told me, ‘you need to use the right channels, not Facebook’,” he said.
He claimed that even the officers from the curriculum development division from the ministry could not answer his queries on the syllabus.
Fadli’s Facebook post on the threat of disciplinary action attracted the attention of education minister Radzi Jidin, who said he hoped to meet the teacher to obtain his feedback directly.
“I am interested to know more about this issue that Fadli has raised. If you have the time, cikgu, let’s meet,” Radzi said in a Facebook post last night.
Fadli is one of many teachers who had taken to social media to air their grievances. Other educators too, felt sympathetic for students that cannot master the syllabus, especially during the pandemic, when movement control orders forced teachers and students to have lessons online.
“Hundreds of other teachers have complained too. However, these honest teachers, who say that the education ministry’s data is fabricated, are silenced with threats of disciplinary action,” he said.
Fadli said he is only voicing out so the education system can improve. He added that he has reached out to his lawyers for advice.
Meanwhile, PKR information chief Fahmi Fadzil said he hoped the ministry will not proceed with any disciplinary action against the teacher.
“I hope the ministry will withdraw the disciplinary action against the teacher, who was only telling the truth.
It’s not like he was accepting bribes, molesting students, misappropriating money, or being absent from his duties,” he said in a Facebook post earlier.