The National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) hopes all grassroots stakeholders in the Education Ministry will understand and adhere to the latest ‘no lessons in the first week of the new 2023/2024 academic year’ directive issued by the ministry.
NUTP secretary-general Fouzi Singon said while the NUTP welcomes the new directive, it hopes the new initiative can be fully implemented at schools without disruption.
“Usually, officers from the district education department will visit schools early in the morning of the first week, including the first day of school, to evaluate the schools’ level of preparedness for the new term,” said Fouzi.
“When this happens, the focus of teachers and administrators shifts, from students and parents, to these officers.”
Fouzi said the evaluation carried out by the state education department includes the preparedness level in welcoming students, cleanliness, and if there are enough tables and chairs in classrooms.
“When officers come to check on all these things, there is a lot of pressure, as they are being evaluated,” he said.
“Officers from the district education departments can choose other days to visit these schools. I hope teachers and students will be given the space to fully embrace this new initiative.”
The Education Ministry, through circular No. 5/2023 dated March 9, had said that the first week of the new school term should be filled with appropriate programmes or activities to prepare students socially and mentally for the new academic year.
Unlike previously, where the focus of the first day of school was to dive straight into academics, schools are now urged to strengthen relationships between teachers, students, parents, and the community.
The first week of the new school term will instead be filled with sessions and lessons to instil physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and intellectual values.
Fouzi said this was the first time such an initiative was being introduced at the start of the new school term.
“All principals and headmasters have also been briefed on the latest circular. We hope parents too, will take the effort to understand the new programme, so that there will be no misunderstanding.”
Separately, Fouzi hoped that the ministry’s allocation for schools for the new academic term should be distributed early in the year.
“Co-curricular activities, including sporting activities, are carried out early in the year. Schools need funds to conduct programmes, both at the school, and later, at district levels.”
He said teachers sometimes did not have the heart to see winners of competitions go home empty-handed, and would often use their own money to buy trophies and medals.
“We hope the ministry will inform the schools on the method of disbursement (for the allocation), or if there are going to be cuts in the allocation, as schools need to plan for the year.
“Parent-Teacher Association fees (better known as PIBG fees) are only supposed to be used to support the needs of the schools, such as the purchase of items like paper,” he said.
He said right now, schools are in the dark about the amount of allocation that they will receive, and if the funds will be distributed in phases.
“We hope both the Education and Finance Ministries will keep schools informed, so that it will not disrupt our planning process,” he said.
The new academic year will start on Sunday for Group A states, and on Monday, for Group B states.
Group A involves schools in Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu. Group B are schools in Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and Putrajaya.
