EDUCATION MINISTRY TO RESOLVE SHORTAGE OF MALE TEACHERS

LANGKAWI (Malaysia), June 12 (Bernama) -- The Education Ministry has held a
discussion with the relevant parties to find a solution to the shortage of male
teachers and among the suggestions made was to seek a special incentive to
attract more men to take up the profession.

"I'm not saying that we will relax the entry qualification (to become
teachers), but the ministry will find a way to reduce the gap even if it takes a
long time," said the Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister, Muhyiddin
Yassin.

He said the dilemma in the number of male teachers which lagged far behind
the female teachers, with the current ratio at 20:80, would be the main focus of
the ministry in resolving the problem.

"I'm not blaming the gender...what the ministry can do now is to reduce the
gap between the male and female teachers," he told reporters after visiting the
Kilim Geoforest Park in Ayer Hangat, in this northern island resort Thursday.

He said this when asked to comment on the statement by the Vice-Chancellor
of Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Dr Aminah Ayob Wednesday, who
expressed concern over the shortage of non-Malay and male students at the
university.

Muhyiddin said the problem could also be due to the lack of interest among
men to opt for the teaching profession or lack of qualification which forced
them to choose other careers.

Meanwhile, he also said he was happy with the feedback given by the public
on the government's proposal to make English language as a compulsory subject to
pass in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.

"Everyone agrees that the English language is important...no one had said
that the English language was not necessary and the response had been very
encouraging," he said.

However, he said the ministry would not make a hasty decision on its
implementation and was still inviting the public to give their views on the
requirement to make English language a compulsory subject to pass.
-- BERNAMA