Teachers asked not to be distracted by politics

The Star

JOHOR BARU: Teachers should not get distracted by the current political situation in the country but should instead concentrate on their teaching.

Deputy Education Minister Datuk Razali Ismail said that teachers should focus on improving the lot of students under their care.

“Keep yourself professionally and academically busy, not politically busy,” he said.

Razali said that the government had approved a hefty RM31bil budget allocation for the Education Ministry and urged teachers to pay attention to their work.

“We have been given a huge responsibility and should play our role in transforming the lives our children, particularly since examinations were around the corner,” he said at a press conference after officiating at a meeting involving 120 representatives from the Education Ministry and several teachers associations.

He denied that there were complaints lodged against teachers who had neglected their duties to get involved in political affairs.

“We have not received complaints, but the current political situation has gone on for a long time, at least six months.

“We dont want teachers to turn into political analysts,” he quipped.

Razali said according to the seriousness of the offence, disciplinary action would be taken against teachers who neglected their jobs for politics, including issuing warning letters.

He added that the government was also doing what it could to improve the quality of education in the country, including increasing the ratio of teachers to students.