KUALA LUMPUR: The decision of teachers to retire early when they could still contribute to the education system seems to give the impression that something is wrong with the Education Ministry.
Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the polemic should be addressed through government intervention to avoid the risk of a more acute education crisis.
This, he said was because having educators, especially the experienced ones, retiring early is a huge loss to the country.
If the situation persists, he said, it would have an impact on the quality and competitiveness of the Malaysian education system.
"The various challenges faced by teachers in a pandemic season are very understandable. It greatly tests their emotional and psychological resilience.
"They are also further burdened with clerical work which interferes with the actual task of teaching, therefore the government's intervention in this matter is very important.
"If this continues, the country will face a more critical education crisis. The aspiration to make Malaysian schools and the quality of education on par with international level will definitely be affected.
"This is because teachers are an important catalyst in advancing the nation and country, as they have an extraordinary influence towards shaping the personality and thinking of the next generation," he said in a statement, today.
Mohamad, who is better known as Tok Mat, suggested that the Parliamentary Select Committee for Education call a representative from the Education Ministry to explain the matter.
Through a transparency-based approach, Mohamad is confident that a long-term solution could be formulated to solve the problem.
"The National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) in a statement on April 18 estimated that more than 10,000 have been submitting their papers annually for early retirement over the last few years.
"This figure far exceeds the Education Ministry's statistics released on Nov 9, 2021, that a total of 4,360 optional retirement applications have been submitted since January last year.
"If the estimates made by the NUTP are true, then the pattern of early retirement or even quitting and leaving the teaching service is very worrying.
"The Education Ministry should come forward to explain the actual figures and submit details on the matter as teachers' welfare is not something to be compromised," he said.
An online portal quoted NUTP secretary-general Wang Heng Suan on April 18 as describing the issue as a worrying trend as Malaysia is losing experienced teachers.
Wang had said the Covid-19 pandemic, coupled with online teaching and learning as well as the increasing non-teaching responsibilities could have contributed to the matter where some teachers in their early or mid-50 have been choosing to retire early.
