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The National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) issued a statement calling on the Malaysian government to tackle the nation’s growing teacher shortage without delay. NUTP President Mr Aminuddin Awang warned that Malaysia currently faces a shortfall of approximately 10,000 teachers. “This shortage directly undermines every child’s right to access quality education,” he stressed.

The NUTP discusses all the challenges facing the profession at a Go Public! Fund Education campaign meeting held in Kuala Lumpur this week. Anand Singh, Director of Education International Asia-Pacific, and Angelo Gavrielatos, Education International’s Go Public! Fund Education Campaign Manager were also in attendance to provide support and expertise.

A profession under strain

The teacher shortage continues to be a major issue for the education sector in Malaysia, with 10,000 more teachers needed as a matter of urgency. As vacant positions remain unfilled and retired educators are not replaced, the shortage is increasing the teacher-to-student ratio and putting additional pressure on those who stay in the profession.

Consequently, excessive workloads were also identified as a major problem for teachers in Malaysia. Many educators report excessive administrative duties and minimal planning time which contribute to stress and burnout.

With many parents contacting educators on messaging applications after working hours, unionists also discussed the need to secure the right to disconnect for educators across the country.

Insufficient funding for education also remains a serious challenge. Although the government has allocated RM 64 billion for education in the current budget, it still hasn’t met the recommended 6 percent of GDP global benchmark.

Unless workloads are reduced, working conditions improved, and remuneration made competitive, Malaysia risks further losses in the teaching workforce. Both the profession and the overall quality of education are at risk.

Government must implement UN recommendations to end the teacher shortage

Following the Go Public! meeting, Mr Aminuddin Awang called on the government to implement the United Nations Recommendations for a strong and resilient teaching profession. The recommendations urge governments to invest in teachers and in quality public education and set out a comprehensive plan to end the teacher shortage.

The NUTP identified several recommendations that must be implemented without delay:

• Recommendation 5 that calls on governments to  establish national commissions which must include education unions and relevant stakeholders to assess and tackle the teacher shortage and workload issues.
• Recommendation 7 that calls for funding for public education at a level of at least 6 per cent of gross domestic product and 20 per cent of total government expenditure.
• Recommendation 8 stressing that long-term funding for well-qualified and well-supported teachers is an investment in the quality and sustainability of education systems. Therefore, governments must invest in teachers through competitive salaries and incentives.
• Recommendation 37 that calls for and defines good working conditions and balanced workloads.
• Recommendation 48 that defines social dialogue as the principal means for developing policies on education, teaching, and the teaching profession. 

In line with Recommendation 5 of the United Nations, the NUTP President called on the government to establish a special commission comprising relevant Ministry of Education authorities, representatives of teachers’ organisations and other stakeholders – to assess and tackle teacher workload issues.

“Only through a comprehensive, data driven approach can we ensure fair workloads, attract and retain high quality teachers, and secure the future of Malaysia’s education system” Awang emphasised.

NUTP Secretary General and Vice Chairperson of the EIAP Region, Mr Fouzi Singon, stressed that “the teacher shortage is a longstanding issue, persisting for over 30 years. The Ministry of Education and the Public Service Department must demonstrate the political will to resolve this problem once and for all”.