GEORGE TOWN, July 7 — The National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) has urged the Education Ministry (MOE) to establish a special committee to comprehensively resolve the long-standing issue of excessive teacher workloads.
Its president Aminuddin Awang said about 418,000 teachers nationwide continue to face heavy workloads, often being assigned tasks unrelated to their core professional responsibilities.
“We hope the MOE will take immediate and comprehensive action. This issue has persisted for years, yet many teachers, especially at the grassroots level, still feel the burden of having to carry out non-teaching duties,” he said during a press conference in conjunction with NUTP’s Mid-Term Review for the 2023-2026 session in Teluk Bahang today.
The three-day meeting, which began on Saturday (July 5), also highlighted nine other key issues that will be submitted to the government, including the MOE and the Public Service Department (JPA), for further consideration.
Aminuddin noted that one of the major contributors to the workload is the user-unfriendly online data entry system, which complicates administrative tasks.
He said that teaching assistants assigned to schools with over 1,500 students have not significantly eased the burden, as many teachers still handle administrative duties in the school office.
The union also called for clear guidelines to prevent non-urgent disruptions outside official working hours.
Teachers are often contacted via WhatsApp or Telegram by school administrators or district education offices with tasks that could be addressed during regular work hours.
Aminuddin urged the government to increase funding for substitute teachers in Budget 2026, citing a critical shortage when permanent teachers are on maternity leave, pilgrimage, or other approved absences.
NUTP also raised concerns over the ongoing shortage of teachers due to retirements and the addition of new classes.
The union called on the MOE to review staffing policies, particularly those affecting the career progression of primary school headmasters and senior assistants, who are currently limited to grades DG13 and DG14.
— Bernama
