PTA group voices concern over ‘political’ appointee in school
Politics has no place in school, says National Parent-Teacher Association Consultative Council over posting of MCA division leader as Chinese school headmaster.
PIBGN president Mohamad Ali Hassan said politics in the classroom would do the students no good at all.
“It may create division when politics come into the classroom because students may feel suspicious of one another,” he told FMT, adding that such an environment was not conducive for learning.
He was commenting on an FMT report that an MCA division leader had been appointed headmaster of SMJK Yoke Kuan, Sekinchan in Selangor.
Sungai Besar MCA deputy division chief Lua Toong Aik, who is the chairman of the school board, had defended his decision to make his MCA colleague, Siah Pang Woon headmaster of the Chinese secondary school by saying the school had the need for a Chinese-speaking teacher.
Siah’s appointment was questioned by Sekinchan assemblyman Ng Suee Lim in a press conference, during which he claimed MCA had appointed Siah because the party wished to spread its influence in the school.
The DAP rep said there might also be a conflict of interest between the role of teacher and political leader.
Meanwhile, Ali said teachers “must adhere to work ethics, and serve without bias”.
He also told parents to be aware of what their children were taught in school.
“File a complaint to the state education department if your children are fed politics in class,” he said.
Amanah communications director Khalid Samad said teachers should teach the students moral values and to fight against corruption and keep their political opinions to themselves, for their own sake.
He claimed that democracy in Malaysia was not “mature” enough for teachers to express such opinions.
“Teachers have been targeted because they support the opposition,” he said, alluding to PAS’s allegation that 80 teachers in Kelantan were transferred after the last general election (GE13) in May 2013.
FMT checked with the public service department and found that civil servants must obtain permission from their heads of departments before taking part in political activities.
National Union of Teaching Profession (NUTP) president Kamarozaman Abd Razak said teachers would be penalised if they spread politics in schools.
“A disciplinary unit will hear the complaints of the teacher’s alleged misconduct.
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“If the teacher is found guilty, the possible punishments are a transfer, pay deduction or termination,” he said, adding teachers are most likely to be axed for involvement in hard crimes.