KUALA LUMPUR: The Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia (Huazong) has welcomed the recruitment for Bachelor of Education programme for Unified Examination Certificate graduates (PISMP-UEC).
Welcoming this, its President, Tan Sri T.C Goh also described it as recognition of the academic standard of Chinese independent schools in the country by the government.
He thus hoped that all quarters involved could strive to facilitate and to ensure that the recruitment programme achieves its target.
He said, although the recruitment quota allocated by the Ministry of Education (MOE) under the said programme is only 20 candidates, it is nonetheless a significant achievement for those Chinese organizations who fought for it all these years. Hence, he hoped the Chinese community could appreciate it and to give their full support to the programme.
“If the response to this recruitment programme is encouraging, we are hopeful that we could then lobby for a bigger quota, so as to allow more UEC graduates who are qualified to apply to become a qualified teacher. This would also help boost this programme to become the ‘main source’ for Chinese language teachers in the country,” he said.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Goh who is also President of the Federation of Chinese Associations Sabah (FCAS) also commended deputy Education Minister, Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon, and the various Chinese education groups headed by Dong Jiao Zong, for their dedication and contribution in pushing for the said teacher training programme.
He hoped the programme could be conducted every year and to be expanded accordingly in line with the increasing demand, after this.
Dr Mah recently noted that, besides SPM graduates, the five-year PISMP programme is also being offered to students with special needs, UEC and Sijil Menengah Agama (SMA) graduates. Starting this year, the MOE has also standardized the entry requirements for UEC and SMA graduates where they must have six distinctions (or minimum six credits) including Bahasa Malaysia and English, a pass in History, in addition to three distinctions in UEC or SMA.
Goh said, the special recruitment scheme of recruiting UEC, SMA graduates and students of special needs for teacher training is worth promoting, as a feasible approach towards resolving shortage of teachers in the country, Chinese language teachers especially.
He thus called on UEC graduates who are qualified to seize the opportunity to actively come forward to apply for the said training programme which started today (16 July) until 22 July.
He also acknowledged that due to various factors, the said program which was first introduced 10 years ago has not been encouraging all these years where it failed to achieve its quota of 20 candidates; in one particular year, there was even no applicant. Since its introduction, it has only recruited 55 candidates.
However, last year, with the dedication and close collaboration between Dr Mah and the Chinese community, it succeeded in recruiting 11 candidates.
Goh also concurred with the recent joint statement issued by Dong Jiao Zong, which among others pointed out the lack of clarity and poor dissemination of information on the PISMP-UEC recruitment had contributed to its failure in the past.
He thus hoped that this time around, all quarters involved could strive to better ensure that the recruitment programme would achieve its target.
He also acknowledged that due to various factors, the said program which was first introduced 10 years ago has not been encouraging all these years where it failed to achieve its quota of 20 candidates; in one particular year, there was even no applicant. Since its introduction, it has only recruited 55 candidates.
However, last year, with the dedication and close collaboration between Dr Mah and the Chinese community, it succeeded in recruiting 11 candidates.
Goh also concurred with the recent joint statement issued by Dong Jiao Zong, which among others pointed out the lack of clarity and poor dissemination of information on the PISMP-UEC recruitment had contributed to its failure in the past.
He thus hoped that this time around, all quarters involved could strive to better ensure that the recruitment programme would achieve its target.-pr/BNN
