KUCHING:
The state Education Department is carrying out a data collection
exercise and not recruitment, Welfare, Women and Family Development
Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah clarified.
Fatimah, who has been
entrusted to hold a watching brief on education for Sarawak, said the
exercise had been misunderstood by many who thronged the department to
submit their documents.
However, she said the response had been overwhelming.
“We
are at the stage of looking into the supply of local teachers so that
we can plan accordingly to achieve Initiative 90:10. Screening will be
done.
On Oct 26, we will call a press conference on our Action Plan.
“Chief
Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem has the political will to
initiate changes that are good for the people of Sarawak. He is very
determined and he walks the talk. We are behind him in this important
matter,” Fatimah told The Borneo Post yesterday.
The Education
Department’s Initiative 90:10 is an attempt to reach a posting ratio of
nine local teachers to one from outside the state by 2018 following
Adenan’s request for devolution of power from federal to state in the
area of education. Presently, the ratio of local teachers to those
outside the state is 70:30.
In order not to compromise on the
state’s education standard, she stressed that only those meeting the
requirements were trained in the subject options needed by the
department and with an interest or passion in teaching would be
recruited to fulfil the target.
“We will disclose our Action Plan
on Oct 26. By then, we will have a clearer picture on how many more to
recruit, teachers with what subject options to recruit and so on,” said
Fatimah.
Meanwhile, many people rushed to the Education Department
headquarters here yesterday thinking that it was a recruitment
exercise. One of them was The Borneo Post reader who only wanted to be
known as Thomas, 51.
Thomas, whose daughter is a graduate from
Unitar (Universiti Tun Abdul Razak), said he was informed by his friends
that Education Department was recruiting teachers, which prompted him
to submit the documents for his daughter.
“My daughter graduated
in 2013 with a Second Upper Class Bachelor in Education, majoring in
English. But until now, she is still doing part time jobs because she
cannot get any teaching jobs.”
He said when he reached the
Education Department at 9.30am it was crowded with graduates who tried
to register with the department, thinking that it was a recruitment
exercise.
“There were so many people trying to submit their
documents and there were six education officers handling all the
submissions. There might have been a few hundred of them as the crowd
reached as far as the entrance of the department. Even the car parks
were filled up.”
Thomas was very puzzled as to why the state had
claimed there were not enough local teachers when there were many
trained teachers like his daughter who had not been recruited despite
her good results.
“I just hope those who have registered in this exercise will be given a job soon,” said Thomas.
Apart
from the Education Department, the Kuching Resident’s Office which
houses the district office was also crowded by those who wanted their
documents certified before submitting them to the former. Charlene, 22, a
second year student from Open University was one of them.
She was
there at about 10am and saw many people queuing up for their documents
to be certified and was at the Education Department headquarters here
from 11am to 12 noon.
“I am now doing the programme of Teaching
English as Second Language. I submitted my documents and expect to get a
job,” said Charlene.
