Cracking the whip on teachers

As published in Malay Mail today.

KUALA LUMPUR — The UPSR fiasco has now thrust teachers teaching at tuition centres in the spotlight.

Working groups within the Education Ministry’s task force, set up soon after two UPSR papers were leaked, were deliberating the roles played by these teachers as their work ethics and tax issues were raised.

The UPSR Science and English Language papers were last week leaked forcing pupils to resit both papers on September 30. Ministry insiders claim the saga would eventually result a total shake up.

“We have heard students complaining teachers tend to teach minimal during school hours but provide more during their tuition classes. This is against the work ethics as teachers are supposed to give their best in school,” said the source.

“Also, these teachers would tend to promise obtaining questions that would come out during the examinations. Some are confident enough to tell their students the questions were supplied by people within the ministry. We must probe if it is just mere talk or if they are working with any syndicates providing them such information.

“These teachers are making extra money on the sidelines and it remains a question if they declare their income 

annually.”

Another source said the pursuit of academic excellence had been overly commercialised as parents and children were victimised. 

“The standards of teaching in schools and even tuition centres have severely dwindled. It is all about getting straight As. For schools it is about impressing the state education departments. 

For tuition centres it is about reputation and marketing to gain more students. It is no longer about the child.”

Teachers who offer extra classes outside the classrooms defended their actions claiming they were being “victimised”.

“Why shoot the messenger? One must find out where the leak originated and it could have only come from the top (officials in the Malaysian Examination Syndicate),” said a school teacher who offered Bahasa Melayu tuition after school hours.

“The papers are sealed and only open minutes before the examinations begin. Unless school teachers have bionic eyes, there is no way they can get the questions.”

He claimed a similar episode occurred in the late 80s where a work book published just months before the SPM examinations had identical questions to what was produced during the examinations.

“It has been happening for umpteen years. If true teachers and students are getting leaked papers, they must be getting it from somewhere. So go after those who are giving out the papers, not us,” he said.