NUTP has called on the Ministry of Education many times to review the Education System particularly the excessive Paperwork. It is a reality that teachers are forced through a seemingly endless stream of paperwork, most of which seem redundant. And when in some cases, teachers literally end up ploughing the school field as part of a (school) project, one might wonder how much teaching actually happens within the walls of a classroom through no fault of theirs.

Georgraphy teacher May Wong says a lot of the "unnecessary work" begins with preparing working papers for school projects like the Most Beautiful Garden Competition. "Teach­ers arc expected to come up with professional working papers when they don't even know how to do so. But we just learn how, as we go" elaborates the teacher with over 20 years experience. Wong's story illustrates just one of the common tasks teachers have to carry out in addition to teaching.

The National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) Sec­retary General Lok Yim Pheng shares that the issues of teach­ers workload crops up from time to time, and no serious thought or action has been taken to date to ractify the situation.

"People must not think we are running away from our duties because we aren't. We accept that some paperwork does come with teaching, such as preparation of lessons or marking. But all the unnecessary clerical stuff we have to do takes us away from our core business which is teaching," she explains.

NO CHANGE

Over the years, various steps have been taken to improve teaching conditions. These include recommendations made by a committee headed by former Education Director-General Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Arshad to study teachers' problems, their salary scheme, workload and prospects for promotion. Lok acknowledges that some recommendations made in the Rahman Arshad report were implemented such as improving teachers' salaries, upgrading non-graduate teachers from cer­tificate to diploma level, teachers' housing as well as distance learning programmes but not decreasing the workload. "But now the teachers' workload has increased tremendously as a result of more administrative duties, increased expectations from parents and children, and the constant new non-educa­tional projects in schools. This is why we are grateful that the Education Ministry is reviewing teachers' paper workload and is taking the matter seriously," she said.

Education Minister Datuk Hishammuddin Tun Hussein an­nounced that ministry Secretary-General Datuk Ambrin Buang has been tasked with the review and measures proposed would be implemented next year as part of the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

Ambrin has said that the ministry has begun work on a for­mula which would reduce the administrative workload of teachers. The ministry has set up a taskforce to interview pri­mary and secondary teachers nationwide.

ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN

Teacher Jane Lim says teachers do not have a problem with 'normal' duties like marking books, setting exam questions, taking attendance and preparing daily lesson plans.

It's the other duties which have become a hassle. They include doing examination analyses as well as filling in data for stu­dents' profile cards, health records, personal files and laporan adab belajar. Other projects that necessitate lots of paper-work are Nilam Reading Programme, evaluating students for School Based Oral assessment as well as monitoring students" homework.

"These may appear simple but it's not easy to constantly re­mind students to bring their personal details to school. There will be some forgetful ones who need to be reminded everyday. "All this eats into precious teaching time in class", explains Lim.

She adds that a teacher's workload increases if she is head of a panel or is a class teacher as she is expected to ensure the cleanliness of the class too. A panel head has to come up with a yearly plan on what will be done for an entire year. In most schools panel heads do an equal amount of teaching time as the others. "We also have to come up with a class as well as personal timetable which has to be in colour", she says.

But that is not all. Other duties include holding positions in various school committees such as stock inventory where teachers are expected to literally count each and every piece of furniture in school and to label them accordingly or be ad­visors for various co-curricular activities.

When will all this end? NUTP sincerely hopes that for once the authorities concerned will seriously take note of the actual deterimental effect of an overload of PAPERWORK and NON-TEACHING DUTIES on teachers and the overall education of children in schools. It is of no use constantly emphasising on and calling for a need to up-grade teaching methods and the standard of teaching in schools without ad­dressing and removing this increasing burden and "yoke" off the shoulders of teachers which is becom­ing unbearable. Don't always put the blame on teach­ers for poor results and achievements in schools. BLAME THE SYSTEM!!

NUTP PROVIDES AID
NUTP has indirectly provided help to at least 10.000 members of NUTP and their family members. The help provided was through a special scheme with Great Eastern Life Assurance. NUTP has paid close to 1 million US Dollars to its members. NUTP's own Welfare Fund stands at one million USD. Help is provided to family members and next of kin.
Mdm. Lok Yim Pheng, Secretary General of NUTP presenting instant financial aid to the wife of a teacher who is bedridden.