Teaching Profession Misconception

Recently the talk about teaching profession had heated up again with the policy of sending teachers to serve the rural area. The policy is a good move by the government to solve he lack of workforce in those areas, especially in the East Malaysia. But again, I had got to read about many people supporting it by giving all the wrong reasons.

Most of the people wanted too much from those who enter the employment with Ministry of Education. Many people still think that teaching is an easy profession with the teachers getting paid more than they contributed.

One of the perception is teachers work from 7:30 AM to some time after noon only. That's totally wrong. That period of time is where the teachers conduct tutoring face to face with the students. Teachers need to bring their bundle of workload home including marking student's homework and completing paperwork.

Another misconception is they have long holidays. Those year-end holidays are really holidays for the students but not for teachers. These teachers are needed to report back to school for duty, to do some paperwork and plan for the academic year to come. With the administration workload increasing by the year, the engineer of life had lesser holidays.

The profession is also a tough one. Some may feel that teaching students are easy matter. My advice, try teach one person to do something he had not yet knows. Then imagine that person multiplied by about 40 students per class. For me, I might vomit blood, even teaching a full grown person personally, let alone 40 students in governmental schools. Mental stress and high blood pressure are now common occurrence among the teachers.

One perception that most people got it almost right is teachers' pay are low. From my point of view, I won't say it is low, it is just enough for survival and will not support a lavish lifestyle. Can't even support their child through college without loan. Public service sector's pay are quite rational but face opposition from private sectors' employee when government give a rise to them. Why the complaint when most people thinking a public servant is a below average job in terms of salary?

Back to the policy being reviewed. I think it is implementable but not for those senior teachers with family baggage. Send those young ones but please give them a better remuneration plan. That's my personal opinion.