DPM: EXIT POLICY WILL ENSURE ONLY THE BEST TEACHERS ARE RETAINED

DPM: Exit policy will ensure only the best teachers are retained

SEREMBAN 7/11/2012: An exit policy has to be effectively implemented in the teaching profession to ensure only the best are retained as teachers.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the move was in line with the government's aim to transform the profession and to encourage the best brains to become teachers.

"We will introduce pragmatic steps to retain the better ones and among these are to allow teachers to teach their options so that they will remain motivated and better promotion opportunities,"

he said when opening the Education Service Conference here on Wednesday.

There are some 408,000 teachers in the country.

The move to introduce an exit policy for all civl servants was mooted some time ago but had yet to be implemented due to objections from certain quarters.

The policy allows the authorities to terminate the services of employees with a poor track record or those with disciplinary problems.

Muhyiddin said there was also a pressing need to transform the profession as a study by the Higher Education Leadership Academy last year showed that only 50% of teaching was carried out effectively.

"And with 60% of the existing teachers expected to be in service in the next 20 years, we want teachers to continuously improve their standards," he said adding that this was also why the ministry had decided to offer teaching opportunities to 30% of those who scored 9As in their SPM from next year.

Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said the ministry also plans to do away with trainee teachers being automatically given postings if their performances were unsatisfactory.

"Only those who performed well and achieved excellent results will be offered these jobs in future," he said.

On a separate matter, Muhyiddin said the Education Service Commission (ESC) has decided to offer graduates who excelled a career in teaching without requiring them to sit for an interview.

Similarly, he said headmasters and teachers who complete their tertiary education would also be considered for promotion to the DG41 level without them having to sit for an interview.

"All they need to do is to notify the ESC once they complete their studies and they will be exempted from attending interviews," he said.

SARBAN SINGH