Shawn Stanly Anthony Dass, who taught science at a public school near Gerik, Perak, said teachers know firsthand the issues in the education system that must be addressed urgently.
“It’s best to seek the views of teachers given that they work in the classroom day in and day out,” he told FMT.
“I urge the education ministry to reach out to teachers everywhere and hear what they have to say. This will help the government make informed decisions on the matter,” he added.
FMT recently reported that parents are losing confidence in the national education system.
It quoted a father saying that educators are often overwhelmed by their workload, rendering them unable to meet the individual needs of their students.
The Melaka Action Group for Parents in Education and the Parent Action Group for Education have since called on the government to reduce administrative work for teachers to enable them to spend more time in the classroom.
Shawn, a former Teach for Malaysia fellow, pointed out that there are no one-size-fits-all solutions to the challenges schools grapple with.
This is especially so for schools located in remote areas and have limited resources.
Citing his experience teaching Orang Asli children, he said the high illiteracy rate as well as language barrier between teachers and pupils mean that an “altogether different pedagogy” should be introduced.
The Orang Asli who live in that area are mostly of the Jahai and Temiar tribes.
Shawn said Malay is usually the third language for these students, while English is more likely their fourth or fifth.
“A lot of times, what I said did not make sense to them. One of my students had to help me translate what I said to his peers,” he said.
He said these challenges make it all the more important that school administrators foster a culture of collaboration among teachers.
“This can contribute to a healthy work environment,” he added.
The importance of passion
Shawn said many public school teachers are losing their passion for teaching, calling it a “troubling trend”.
He attributed this to an overwhelming workload coupled with a salary that does not commensurate with the hours and effort put in, unlike in private schools.
Former principal V Chakaravathy, 85, warned that the lack of passion for educating the masses will be detrimental to a whole generation of youth.
“When you teach with passion, even the weakest students can become somebody great,” he told FMT.
“To become a good teacher, the profession must be a passion to you, not just a means to an end. If you don’t have passion, you’re not ready to impart any knowledge to students,” he added.
Chakaravathy, who spent 30 years in the education sector, believes that teachers at public schools are no longer prepared to ensure adequate learning outcomes among their students.
“If our students are doing well today, it’s not because of the education they receive at school. It’s because their parents took the initiative to have them educated by teachers in private tuition classes,” he added.