MALAYSIA would most likely face an education crisis if teachers continue to opt for early retirement, Mohamad Hasan said today.

The Umno deputy president said the trend of teachers retiring early from service over the past few years is worrying and urged the Education Ministry to explain the situation.

“Government intervention in this matter is very important. The early retirement of experienced teachers is a huge loss to the country.

“If this continues, the country will face a critical education crisis. It will affect the quality and competitiveness of our education system.

“The aspiration to make Malaysian schools and the quality of education on par with international standards will definitely be affected,” the Barisan Nasional (BN) deputy chairman said in a Facebook posting today.

The National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) had estimated more than 10,000 teachers submitted their papers annually, opting for early retirement over the last few years.

The union claimed this was in addition to an equal number of teachers leaving the service on mandatory retirement.

Hasan, fondly known as Tok Mat, said the figure by the union far exceeds the figure given by the Education Ministry on November 9 last year, claiming that a total of 4,360 teachers requested early retirement.

“If the estimates made by the NUTP are true, then the trend of early retirement or quitting the service among these teachers is very worrying.

“The Education Ministry should come forward with the real figures and explain in detail the NUTP’s annoyance over the matter,” the former Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar said.

Hasan said the Parliamentary Select Committee for Education should call on representatives of the Education Ministry to clarify this matter so that through transparency, a long-term solution could be achieved.

He said he understood the various challenges faced by teachers during the Covid-19 pandemic, adding it severely tested their emotional and psychological resilience.

Teachers, he said, were also burdened with clerical work that eventually interfered with their actual task.

Hasan said the welfare of teachers cannot be compromised as they are important in shaping the personalities and thoughts of the next generation.

“If so many teachers end their careers while they are still productive and can contribute effectively, there must be something wrong with the Education Ministry,” he said.

Last month, Education Minister Radzi Jidin had said the ministry was looking into the reasons why a high number of teachers were opting for early retirement. – April 19, 2022.