Stop depriving Sabahans from becoming teachers

SAPP Youth says dependency on teachers from Peninsula is too great and Sabah youth are being deprived of joining the teacher profession.

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Youth has handed a memorandum with the Sabah Education Director Jame Alip and the Sabah Government to urge that local youths be given priority in entering teaching institutions/colleges in Sabah, “given the shortage of local teachers in our primary and secondary schools in the state”.

The Memorandum noted that out of more than 38,000 teachers in Sabah, 11,000 or 29 per cent were from the peninsula. “About 3,000 teachers are from Kelantan and Terengganu, states adversely affected by massive floods recently, causing the school opening to be postponed for a week in the whole of Malaysia”.

SAPP Youth chief Jamain Sarudin said the youths sympathise with the fate and long-term trauma that has affected people in the flood-stricken states in the peninsula. However, according to him, this clearly demonstrates that Sabah is critically dependent on teachers from the peninsula to the point that they were forced to comply with the delayed school opening.

According to the examination statistics of 2013 issued early last year, he noted, 18,681 students passed SPM and another 7,213 passed STPM in Sabah. “However, Sabah youths only filled 30 per cent of admissions to teachers training colleges in Sabah and the rest were filled by youths from the peninsula.”

This is unfair to the thousands of Sabah youths who want to join the teaching profession which is considered a popular career among them, he added, especially now that Sabah is still dependent on peninsular teachers.

“We will not be able to meet the demand because the number of local youth admissions to education colleges in Sabah is too small, compared to the opportunities enjoyed by the youths from the peninsula,” he said. “Borneonisation as agreed in the 20-Points must be respected, because it is in the Malaysia Agreement 1963.”

SAPP Youth urged that the Sabah Education Department be granted the autonomy to process admission to education colleges in Sabah in order to ensure more youths in the state have better chances of entering local teaching institutions. “The present intake system has shut down opportunities for our ‘anak’ Sabah (children of Sabah).”

Through the Memorandum, SAPP Youth urged that incentives be given equally to all teachers regardless of whether from the peninsula or Sabah. “This is due to geographical factors and lack of infrastructure especially in rural areas.”

If Sabah youths can fill the need in teaching, the Memorandum continued, the government could save on payment of regional allowances to peninsular teachers in Sabah.

“The money saved can be used to improve school facilities in Sabah. This is sure to inspire educators and help pupils to enjoy a more comfortable learning environment, especially in rural areas.”

Jamain conceded that filling the shortage of local teachers in Sabah will require a long process, but it should start immediately. “It is hoped the Sabah Education Department and Sabah leaders can take smart decisions to overcome this problem.”