KUALA LUMPUR: The National Union of Teaching Profession (NUTP) hopes the two ministers leading the Education Ministry and Higher Education Ministry respectively will dedicate their responsibility towards enhancing the nation's education sector by introducing progressive policies to improve the existing system.
NUTP secretary general Fouzi Singon said the union is confident that the two ministers chosen by the prime minister are the best in carrying out the trust and responsibility given to them.
"If you look at the development from time to time where when there is an education reform with a change (involving) an Education Minister, the policies introduced by the previous Minister's are not sustainable and there will be changes.
"Some of the policies which were introduced were the best but were not continued," he said in a statement today.
Last night, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced Nibong Tebal member of Parliament Fadhlina Sidek as the new Education Minister and appointed Kota Tinggi MP Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin as the Higher Education Minister.
Therefore, he said, NUTP hopes that Fadhlina can see and consider the propriety of giving more autonomy to the grassroots level in planning teaching and learning sessions and is sensitive to problems that have existed for quite some time in the education sector.
In addition, he said, NUTP hopes that the new Education Minister will also jointly examine, understand, search, resolve and improve the education system.
"Suggestions expressed by anyone must be examined before any decision is taken.
"This is because grassroots level suggestions and views can partly help and improve the education system," he said.
He also praised the separation of the Education and the Higher Education ministry which is seen as quite appropriate because it will focus more on improving their respective ministries.
"Higher Education handles a large and complex ministry," he said.
NUTP also hopes that the country's TVET policy, which is still incomplete, and the Malaysian Education Development Plan 2013-2025, which was not touched during the previous minister's administration, can be re-examined.
"The building of Malaysia's future generation depends greatly on the policies made by these ministries in the future.
"NUTP also hopes that the two figures chosen to lead both ministries can provide good cooperation with NUTP and can hold engagement sessions," he said.
Previously, he said the teachers' union did not get a place for engagement sessions and NUTP hoped that the two ministers would be friendly with the teachers' union.
