It is a disappointment that even after 53 years of independence, there are still untrained teachers teaching in the 523 Tamil schools in Malaysia.

Makkal Osai reported that National Union of Teaching Profesion (NUTP) vice president M.Arulgirinathan had called on the Education Department to give temporary Tamil school teachers more opportunities to pursue teacher training courses during the school holidays. He said there was a demand for more Tamil teachers as student enrolment in Tamil schools had been increasing every year. There are 500 temporary Tamil school teachers says Tamil school headmasters Association President G.Manokaran. (TN 23/7/08 page 13).

We call for all existing temporary Tamil school teachers sent to University Pendidikan Sultan Idris or the other Teaching Universities with full salary in order for them to qualify as graduate teachers by three years ie by 2013.

The 99% Malay muslim 1,300 teachers in the 247 Permata when even Kindergarten teachers (Utusan Malaysia 5/5/10 at page 5) are all targeted to be made graduate teachers by sending them to University Pendidikan Sultan Idris, why not the 523 Tamil school temporary teachers!

After all RM40 billion had been allocated for education under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (New Straits Times 25/6/2008 at page 2).

And Malaysia also aims 50% of those in the 17 to 23 age bracket and 37% of the workforce with university education by 2020 (NST 26/7/08 at page 12). And in Saudi Arabia 86% of the secondary school students get to enter universities (Utusan Malaysia 17/7/08 at page 1).

15,000 Primary school teachers are given the opportunity to do Primary school graduate teaschers programme. The Education Minister says this programme will start in all Teacher Training Institutions all over the country five years course to start on 17/11/08 to 2012 for fee of charge. Four years of school holiday course (and final year on a full time basis). This is to ensure at least 50% of the 140,000 primary school teachers are graduates by 2010. A degree in Education is awarded. (UM 23/7/08).

We call upon the government of Malaysia to send all 500 temporary Tamil school teachers to the Education Ministry’s graduate teachers programme on full story forthwith with effect from this year.

P.Uthayakumar