FEWER APPLICATIONS FROM NON-MALAYS

KUALA LUMPUR: The shortage of non-Malay teachers is the result of fewer applications for teacher training from non-Malays, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said for the 2008 session, 79,973 applications for teacher training were received from Malays, 7,288 from Chinese and 4,674 from Indians.

“Of the 7,288 Chinese applicants, 2,524 eligible candidates were called for interviews and 1,284 were selected,” he said, adding that the number was inadequate when considered in the context of the requirement for Chinese schools.

Hishammuddin was replying to a question from Tan Seng Giaw (DAP-Kepong), who had raised a question on the difficulty in getting enough teachers, particularly for Chinese and Tamil primary schools, though the number of trainees in teacher training institutions was high annually.

Hishammuddin said the ministry had approved the recruitment of untrained temporary teachers in accordance with the current vacancies to resolve the shortage of teachers in Chinese primary schools.

For this year, approval had been given to recruit 3,095 temporary teachers to fill vacancies for teachers in Chinese primary schools up to the end of this year.

“As such, in the medium- and long-term, it is important for us to ensure that more non-Malays apply to take up teacher training,” he said.

Earlier, when replying to a question from Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing (BN-Bintulu), Hishammuddin said emphasis was given to the quality of teacher training and that a bill would be tabled in parliament soon to upgrade teacher training institutions in terms of curriculum, posts and the latest approach to training.