Press Digest - No 'Little Napoleons' involved in posting of Chinese language teachers
PETALING JAYA: There are no "Little Napoleons" involved in the transfer of Chinese language teachers from conforming schools or sekolah menengah jenis kebangsaan (SMJKs) to national schools, said Deputy Education Minister Chong Sin Woon.
He said tongue-in-cheekily that there is only one "Big Napoleon" and that he is making the transfers, which started in Selangor and will be carried out in other states in stages.
The deputy minister was referring to the desire of many SMJKs to retain their Chinese language teachers and certain quarters who believed the transfers is the work of certain education officials acting on their own fancy.
He said the transfers are necessary to fill vacancies in schools where there is a shortage of these teachers.
According to a report in Sin Chew Daily today, he said the ministry found that some SMJKs have double the number of Chinese language teachers.
For example, a school may have 20 such teachers when it needs only 10, he told the media on Sunday after opening a seminar organised by the Kuala Lumpur Ti-Ratana Welfare Society to prepare fifth formers for the SPM examination.
He explained that as the majority of pupils from national-type Chinese primary schools go to national schools, there is a need for Chinese language teachers in these schools.
"This is the first step towards the ministry's vision to incorporate Chinese (language) subject into the timetable," he said, adding that in many schools, the Chinese language is only conducted during the pupils' own language class.
"This reshuffling may affect some schools, particularly SMJKs but I must say it is the right move for Chinese education as a whole," said Chong.
He said some teachers may be worried about being transferred but he hoped they would make sacrifices, as students from all parts of the country need their service.
At the same time, he said, the ministry also needs enough teachers to incorporate the Chinese language subject in the timetable.