KUALA LUMPUR, 30 Sept 2020:
Students’ compliance to standard operating procedure (SOP) after school hours is not the responsibility of the teachers, says National Union of Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general Harry Tan Huat Hock.
He lambasted parties who questioned the whereabouts of teachers in monitoring students after school hours – and stressed parents are the ones who should bring their children home safely.
“Matters between teachers and students begin at the main gate and end at the same spot according to the fixed time,” he responded when asked to comment on an opinion piece by a reader of a local newspaper published on Monday.
The writer had questioned the teachers’ presence after school hours in controlling and monitoring students’ compliance to SOP.
Tan said it was unfair to punish the educators on matters which are beyond their scope of duty.
In addition to teaching, he said teachers’ tasks have become more challenging in the wake of Covid-19 as they have to carry out SOP related works, besides handling students’ discipline issues.
NUTP has also called on the Ministry of Education (MoE) to look into the problems faced by teachers who take on the role of school wardens.
Tan said the duties of the school warden were very heavy and required a lot of patience in carrying out the tasks entrusted to them, regardless of time.
When schools were reopened during the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO), he noted the wardens were not allowed to return home for a short term or go on holiday during the period.
“The wardens work more than 18 hours a day, compared to regular teachers working hours from 7am to 4pm. They do not only carry out the task of monitoring students but also teaching duties. Thus, the wardens have no leisure time with their family,” he said in a statement today.
Tan said the allowance payment of RM240 did not commensurate with the workload, causing most teachers to refuse the warden job.
Meanwhile, he said NUTP also received complaints related to the wardens occupying houses which were written off but had to repay the Permanent Housing Allowance received during the occupation of the house.
“NUTP hopes the ministry’s top management would review these matters.”
– Bernama