Bukit Bendera MP Zairil Khir Johari has urged the Ministry of Education to restore the teachers involved in the Suara Guru Masyarakat Malaysia (SGMM) protest to their previous schools.

This is following the announcement by Minister of Education Muhyiddin Yassin on Tuesday that the controversial School-Based Assessment (PBS) would be restructured and reintroduced next month in a new format that lessens the burden of teachers.

The group of teachers from the SGMM NGO received 24-hour transfer orders after their protest to abolish the PBS system, one of whom is the chairman of SGMM, Mohd Nor Izzat Johari, who was sent to a rural school in Pahang 80km away from where he lives.

Their protest in Putrajaya on 22 February 2014, was against the PBS system which forced teachers to undertake heavy clerical duties and online reporting on a system that could not handle the traffic load. These additional duties were apart from their usual responsibilities such as  teaching, assessing books and exam papers, and handling extra curricular club activities. 

Zairil said that the transfer orders should be rescinded immediately and that all victimised teachers should be restored to their previous schools.

“Failure to do so will send a clear message that the Ministry is intent on victimising teachers simply for standing up for their profession, even when they are proven right in the end.

“If the Government is serious in its efforts to increase the quality of teachers and to attract a brighter, more dedicated and motivated teaching force, then the victimisation of teachers must cease immediately,” he added.

As a result of teacher’s dissatisfaction stemming from various problems with the School Based Assessment, the system will be revamped and re-implemented on April 1 2014. -The Rocket