1.0 INTRODUCTION
Stress is not something strange to our daily life nowadays.
Everybody may feel stress when they are facing bad situation. Cox
& Brockley (1984) stated that stress is a perception phenomenon
which exists from a comparison between the command given and
ability of a person to execute he task successfully. Unbalanced
situation in this mechanism will lead into stress experience and
ultimately into stress reaction.
Teacher stress is defined as an uncomfortable feeling, negative
emotion such as anger, anxiety, pressure and disappointment sourced
from their work aspects as a teacher (Kyriacou & Sutcliffe,
1978). For this matter, stressed teacher is someone with their
uncontrollable emotion towards changes in education culture which
requires a teacher to give their knowledge, and at the same time,
they have to educate students to be a good community member.
Teachers have to work more, doing clerical jobs, preparing for
teaching aid materials, and attending courses or educational
workshops. These require teachers to adapt themselves with new
teaching techniques.
Normally, from my experience working in many schools, high level
of stress will lead into work unsatisfactory, work absentee, and
works abandon. Stress adapting reactions of a teacher includes
psychological reactions (anxiety and sadness), physiological
(headache, high blood pressure) and attitude related (alcohol and
smoking addiction, lifestyle and insomnia). Bad working environment
will lead into stress factor and causing work unsatisfactory.
Ultimately, a teacher will have desire to leave their profession
(Kyriacou & Sutcliffe, 1978) High stress level of a teacher
causes disappointment, aggressive behaviour, anxiety, avoidance of
work, absentee, and poor works performance (Kaiser &
Polczynski, 1982).
2.0 definition of concept
According to Derogatis (1998), stress may be defined as a state
of psychological pressure influenced by three main sources or
domains: personality mediators (put together of time pressure,
driven behaviour, attitude posture, relaxation potential, and role
definition); environmental factors (constituting of vocational
satisfaction, domestic satisfaction, and health posture); and
emotional responses (such as hostility, anxiety, and depression).
Derogatis, accordingly explains that these three sources must be
studied interactively to develop a comprehensive account of
psychological stress. Burnout is a syndrome of complete physical
and emotional exhaustion with psychological, psychophysiological,
and behavioral components according Freudenberger (1981).
Freudenberger, accordingly explains that i t is characterized by
pessimism, paranoia, rigidity, diminished sense of humour,
increased physical complaints, self-medication, and social
withdrawal. Burnout is a chronic condition that occurs in the
helping professions such as doctors, nurses, teachers, lawyers,
social workers and police officers (Freudenberger, 1981).
3.0 Literature Review
Numerous definitions of stress exist in the literature and there
is some controversy over the nomenclature as to whether the term
stress, stressor, or strain should be used to define various
aspects of stress (Thatcher & Miller, 2003). Frydenberg (2004)
highlighted how an individual conceptualizes coping as a response
to stress and a medium to develop resilience. The study highlighted
the importance of teaching young people cognitive skills for coping
with stress to facilitate the use of interpersonal and
intrapersonal resources. The study emphasized that for healthy
social and emotional development of youngsters, it is important to
change the language of hopelessness to the language of ability and
optimism. The key to a promising future for youngsters is effective
adaptation of the coping skills.
Schwarzer and Hallum (2008) examined relationship between stress
and self efficacy and suggested a positive effect of high self
efficacy in coping with stress. It is stated that a positive belief
about personal competence to deal with stressful situations results
in adaptation of constructive coping strategies. Thus,
self-efficacious teachers tend to deem their routine work demands
as less threatening than those teachers who carry negative beliefs
or doubts about their performance. Similarly, in another empirical
study, Betoret (2009) examined an association among teachers
self-efficacy, institutional resources, and teachers burnout.
Results indicated that internal and external coping resources
including instructional self efficacy, class room management
efficacy, and social support resources were significantly
negatively related to job stressors. On the other hand, job
stressors had a significant positive relationship with teachers
burnout.
Benight and Bandura (2004) integrated findings from various
studies regarding the role of self-efficacy in retrieval from
various types of traumatic experiences (terrorist attacks, natural
disasters, military combat, technological catastrophes, criminal
and sexual assaults). Analysis found perceived self-efficacy to be
a mediator of post-traumatic retrieval. The contribution of
perceived coping self-efficacy as the sole mediator for post
traumatic retrieval indicates the effective functioning of an
individuals belief in his or her capabilities to exercise control
over traumatic and stressful encounters.
The existence of factors other than those intrinsic to teaching
can be demonstrated by cross-national comparisons of teacher
stress. Stress and burnout in the context of teaching (though by no
means limited to this profession) are pathological syndromes
suffered by teachers. They are caused largely by the conditions
(organizational and of many other types) in which teaching takes
place, Travers & Cooper (1997). A summary analysis of the
current situation in education permits the identification of some
of the social and organizational factors that constitute sources of
stress and burnout: The combination of changes in society and the
educational system itself has led to a growing complexity of the
teachers role and has increased the demands of the school
environment. Paradoxically, these growing demands are accompanied
by a devaluation of, and a reduction in support for, the school
system, which in turn leads to severe occupational dissatisfaction
(working conditions) and health problems among the teaching staff.
In general terms, burnout in the teaching profession, results from
the imbalance between the demands of the profession and the rewards
received, perceived self-efficacy in the achievement of this
objective, observing progress in students, receiving recognition
from others, among other factors.
This profession shares a set of basic characteristics (Pines
& Aronson, 1988): it is emotionally draining, focus on the
client, and the people who choose to work in them have certain
personality characteristics in common. The teaching profession also
involves some aggravating factors which contribute to exacerbating
burnout problems among teachers: there is constant personal contact
and interaction with students; teachers need to be experts, to
display patience and sensitivity and to be useful; their work is
constantly open to scrutiny and evaluation by a variety of people;
they work with people who may not wish to work with them or to
benefit from their efforts; salaries tend to be lower than those in
comparable jobs; and teachers expectations of different aspects of
their work, such as its perceived value and student motivation
often exceed reality.
4.0 CHALLENGES AND IMPLICATIONS
4.1 Workloads
Research has suggested that a number of stressors are intrinsic
to teaching. In their study, Travers & Cooper (1997) found out
that the workload and long working hours emerged as particular
issues for English teachers as opposed to colleagues in France.
When Travers & Cooper (1997) questioned British teachers across
all educational sectors high workload, poor status and poor pay
emerged as three of the seven major sources of stress - the others
being systemic in origin. A study by Male & May (1998) of
learning support coordinators in Further Education colleges further
illustrates the importance of these factors. Coordinators were
assessed for burnout, stress and health. Overall mixed evidence for
heightened stress in this group emerged, but there was strong
evidence for work overload and excessive working hours, associated
with emotional exhaustion.
Role overload occurs when an employee has to cope with a number
of competing roles within their job. Pithers & Soden (1998)
highlighted role overload as a significant stressor in teachers.
They assessed levels of strain, organisational roles and stress in
322 Australian and Scottish vocational and lecturers. Strain was
found to be average in both national groups, but there were high
levels of stress, with role overload emerging as the major cause.
The research by research Kinnunen & Leskinen (1989) identified
a cyclical pattern in the effects of overwork, contingent on the
academic year in their assessment of teachers. The assessment was
repeated during the autumn and spring terms of an academic year. It
was found that recovery from stress occurred each weekend during
the spring term, but that by the end of the longer autumn term
weekend recovery no longer took place.
I refer to the letter Let them focus on teaching (NST, Nov 21)
by S. Sundralingam of Ipoh. The issue of teachers workload seems to
never end. My observation is that there is evidence of teachers
excessive workload.
The non-teaching tasks and expanded role of teachers have
deprived teachers of time to carry out their task as educators.
Consequently, teachers experience work overload, which may exhaust
their enthusiasm and erode their commitment. According to a study a
few years back, reported in the media, teachers work an average of
66.24 hours per week, exceeding the maximum average working hours
of 45 hours per week set by the International Labour of
Organisation. This is another justification for the need to reduce
the workload. Teachers also have to translate new policies, reforms
and changes into action. The current issue is the implementation of
the school-based assessment system. The success of such policies,
changes and reforms depends on teachers.
Teachers are not against any change. They are all for it if the
changes are in step with improvements in logistics and facilities
in schools that are crucial to implement them. The changes in our
education system have resulted in the general intensification of
teachers working life. There is increased paperwork, more
administrative meetings, preparations for external and internal
inspections, and monitoring the implementation of new policies and
other bureaucratic requirements that sap the teachers energy and
divert them from the core task of teaching.
As frontline workers in the education system, teachers have the
major task of ensuring the implementation of these policies.
Although there is evidence that schools have been able to embrace
the changes, some teachers may not readily jump on the bandwagon.
But for those who have the passion for teaching, they will do more
than expected. Most teachers are allotted up to 25 teaching periods
a week and start as early as 7am. Ringing of the school bell will
mark the start and end of each period. In this regard, a large
amount of the teachers work is dictated by the tyranny of the
clock.
Teachers also have to stay back in the afternoons for
co-curricular activities, staff and panel meetings, and other
activities. Even coffee breaks and lunchtime are slotted into the
schedule of teaching.Such a working scenario demands a high level
of commitment, self-motivation and endurance.
Ideally, a teachers workload must be relevant to education. A
manageable one will enable teachers to complete their tasks without
overworking. This will minimise stress and help sustain commitment.
Grouses on teachers workload should be given due consideration.
Hopefully, the implementation of the policy statements mentioned in
the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 will give teachers
something to rejoice.
What have been deliberated are the nuts and bolts of the
teaching profession. We may feel overburdened and harbour
resentment on job-related issues, but teaching will always be
regarded as a noble profession. Teaching is a value-led profession,
concerned with the betterment of human capital and society as a
whole. Most of us are teachers by choice, so. Let us stay motivated
to discharge our duties, although some tasks may be beyond the call
of our duties. Let us perform at the highest level of excellence as
a habit. There are key performance motivators for us to accomplish
our job meticulously and efficiently. Teach our students with great
tenacity. We need to be firm, but gentle. Choose our words and
actions carefully. Whatever our actions, they must not deprive our
schoolchildren from getting the education they deserve.
4.2 Overloaded Curriculum
According to a research made by the Cabinet Committee towards
the National Education Fundamental in 1979, they had identified
several weaknesses caused by the overload curriculum as follows:
1)Lesson content sometimes repeated and unrelated between subjects
or standard. 2) The subject syllabus contains too many items. This
makes the pupils burdened and bored. 3) Teachers and pupils are
always forced to finish the syllabus especially during examination
period. 4) Teaching and learning depends too much on textbooks.
This will restrict the use of other teaching techniques and
resources which are more interesting and effective (Abd Rahim b.
Abd Rashid, 2005)Particularly, on teachers side, there are several
effects that happen in their education life which caused by this
overload curriculum problem. For instance, time management, subject
or topic itself, the teachers roles in teaching and school,
teaching styles, teachers dilemma or emotion and lastly the effects
for the future. Firstly, as stated before, the overload curriculum
has caused some impact in teachers time management where the
teachers are rushing for content coverage in order to finish the
subject syllabus before the examination season started. It has, for
example, altered the number of periods taught and has led to the
introduction of cross-curricular areas. Consequently, the time
consumed in a week is not enough for certain subjects and teachers
need to make extra classes in the weekends or after school just to
finish the syllabus. Because of the rush, teachers also need to
teach the subject seriously, hence there is no time for the teacher
and pupils to have fun in teaching and learning.
Furthermore, from my observations during my school based
experiences, I found that overload curriculum has the effects on
the subjects, topics or syllabus themselves. In addition, teachers
always tend to neglect minor subject such as Physical Education,
Living Skills, and Moral Education in order to focus more on the
examination subjects such as the Malay language, English language,
Science and Mathematics. These subjects are included in the
centralized examination for the primary school known as the Primary
School Achievement Test or UPSR. Because of this, education in
school has become exam oriented learning where the minor subjects
classes have been neglected or sometimes replaced with the
examination subjects.Apart from that, the overloaded curriculum
problem also gives some impacts on the teachers roles in teaching
as well as in school. If you are a teacher, your importance to the
curriculum-development process relates to more than an obligation
to implement adopted decisions (Armstrong, D. G, 2003). I believe
every teacher yearn to be an effective teacher in school and
education where they aimed to achieve the objectives in teaching
and learning of the curriculum. However, other than the
responsibilities to teach and conduct the curriculum, teachers also
have lots of other duties and disruptions in school. For instance,
as stated by Abd Rahim b. Abd Rashid (2005) about teacher
professionalism and school management, the teachers task, roles and
development in school contexts are divided into two parts that is
the curriculum and teaching management and non-academic management.
As for the curriculum and teaching management, it involves teaching
resources and materials, aims of school and education, academic
(curriculum objectives) and innovation and creativity of teaching
and as for the non academic management, it involves the
co-curriculum activity, school and society, planning and
administration and school leadership. On the other hand, the
disruptions that teachers need to confront during in school are
meeting, sports day, school events, holidays and seminars outside
the school.
According to Magnusson, Krajcik, & Borko, (1999). Teaching
is a complex activity that requires teachers to understand content
and pedagogy as they come together to support students thinking and
learning in the context of their classroom. In this case, the
overload curriculum has also affected the teaching styles in
teaching and learning. Lage, Platt and Treglia (2000) stated that,
students will gain more knowledge, retain more information, and
perform far better when teaching styles match learning styles.
However, because of the time constraint, teachers are not able to
apply interesting and effective teaching styles in the classroom.
The teaching and learning session is focusing more on
teacher-centred and involved less meaningful activities for the
students. Teachers tend to teach more on theory and use traditional
teaching styles approach where there is no or less contextual and
practical learning involved among the students. A contextualized
approach to instruction also stresses the social nature of real
world activities (Wenger, 1998; Lave & Wenger, 1991). In some
cases as Curzon (1985) points out, those who compile a syllabus
tend to follow the traditional textbook approach of an 'order of
contents', or a pattern prescribed by a 'logical' approach to the
subject. To worsen the situation, some teachers only teaching just
following the provided text books as stated before without applying
other activities to enhance childrens understanding in learning the
lesson. Hence, this will make the pupils learning become boring and
most probably the learning objectives are not fully achieved by the
pupils.
Furthermore, because of this overload curriculum problem,
teachers actually faced their own dilemma and it is sometimes
affected their emotion in carry out their duties. For instance,
teacher will feel stressful because there is not enough time to
cover the subjects and in some circumstances, there are not enough
teachers in some school to deliver the curriculum to the pupils. As
stated by Armstrong (2005) when you find yourself engaged in
curriculum task, you and your associates will be forced to consider
important context variables. For instance, a teacher needs to know
the social setting within which the materials he or she is
preparing will be taught. Furthermore, a teacher certainly wants to
develop interesting materials that are appropriate to the age and
sophistication levels of the learners who will use them. The
variety of teaching sites, students, community expectations, parent
and guardian priorities, and available support resources militate
against that proposition (Armstrong, D. G, 2003). Teacher also must
consider findings which are related to the learners cognitive and
psychological development. As enactors of the curriculum, teachers
interpret, modify, augment and chose selectively from any materials
that are available to them (Ben Peretz, 1990). Nevertheless, due to
rushing to finish the topic, teachers are not able to focus on
their particular students needs, for instance, the difference of
student individual level in learning where not all pupils in that
particular classroom are able to achieve the curriculum goals and
the learning objectives especially the pupils from the low level
class. This is true as Armstrong (2003) says that curricular that
are developed without the participation of thoughtful teachers
often lack essential gravitas
As a result, this overload curriculum problem is also the causes
why there are still many primary students are not able to master
the basic 3Rs skills namely reading, writing and arithmetic.
Teachers also will be in dilemma because they are only able to
teach the children on the surface and they are not able to educate
the pupils such as inculcating the values of the lesson. This
dilemma phenomenon has shown that teachers are not able to fulfil
the teaching philosophy which is designed to expand a creative,
innovative and interesting teaching and learning concept. As
explained by Abd Rahim b. Abd Rashid (2005) teaching and learning
that had been implemented by the teacher will never be effective if
the teacher did not understand the teaching philosophy in order to
construct the strength and understand the effects of learning in
establish and develop a students potential and ability. Issues like
teaching and learning styles, teaching objectives and aims are the
principles that designed the teaching philosophy. As the
consequence from this problem, the National Education Philosophy is
not delivered perfectly and the aims of education are not achieved
among the children. Sharifah (1999) explained that NPE is developed
to achieve the nations vision to prepare children to become
knowledgeable, trained and skilled individuals to meet the growing
needs of the millennium.
The National Education Philosophy has been the aims and the
purpose of education in Malaysia that need to be achieved by the
students, and it is the responsibility of the teachers to establish
balanced human capitals harmony with the philosophy that had been
created by the Ministry of Education. Education in Malaysia is
on-going efforts towards further developing the potential of
individuals in a holistic and integrated manner, so as to produce
individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and
physically balanced and harmonic, based on a firm belief in and
devotion to God. Such an effort is designed to produce Malaysian
citizens who are knowledgeable and competent, who possess high
moral standards and who are responsible and capable of achieving
high level of personal well-being as well as being able to
contribute to the harmony and betterment of the family, the society
and the nation at large (Ministry of Education, 2002).
However, due to the overloaded curriculum, the goals and aims
could not be achieved. Consequently, it will produce the unbalanced
generation and society whom does not have or learn the values from
education and as a result, in the end teacher will be blamed, not
just by the parents but also by the society. It sees what teacher
do in the classroom as a kind of interactive dialogue, which leads
to action based on their perceptions of curricular intent, your
expectations of parents and guardians and the local community, and
your views of your students needs (Henderson, 1992)
After all, teachers still need to catch up with the curriculum
in the educational world as a professional. Moreover, a teacher
must understand that the curriculum work is never done because
curriculum and education are always moves and flows with the
circulation of time. To avoid the calamitous results of school
program built on out-dated information, it is essential for
curriculum to be an ongoing activity (Armstrong, D. G, 2005). In
order to overcome the effects of the overloaded curriculum problem
and reduces the stress among teachers.
4.3 Classroom Discipline
Classroom discipline is also a significant source of stress.
Lewis (1999) examined teachers' estimations of stress arising from
being unable to discipline pupils in the way they would prefer.
Overall, maintaining discipline emerged as a stressor, with those
worst affected being teachers who placed particular emphasis on
pupil empowerment. A study of 1000 student teachers (Morton et al,
1997) revealed that classroom management was their second greatest
sources of anxiety, the greatest being evaluation apprehension. Of
all the stressors reported, classroom management anxiety was the
only one that did not decline following teaching practice.
Students misbehavior is a prevailing problem affecting schools
not only in Malaysia but also across the many nations around the
world. Students misconduct in the classroom interferes with
teaching and learning and is thought to be precursor to later
school dropout and similar negative social outcomes. Students
behavioral problems are also thought to be a leading contributor to
teachers stress and attrition. Serious breaches of school
discipline policy can have profound negative effects onteachers.
Teachers subjected to abuse or intimidation report experiencing
fears for their safety, lack of sense of dignity at work, intense
feelings of anger, humiliation or shame, isolation and
depression.
Some teenagers may never reveal the nature of the incident or
its impact on them. In such cases, the confidence of the teacher
has been undermined; his/her sense of personal safety violated and
the perpetrator has not been sanctioned. Slavin (2003). One of the
most widespread reasons for bad discipline however is usually a
students inability to cope with the tasks. The noisiest students
will demonstrate their frustration by loud outbursts, disruptive
behaviour, while the rest of the class may remain passive Sternberg
& Williams (2002).
Basically, discipline problems occur when a student refuses to
obey rules of the classroom or school. Rules that deal with human
actions will eventually be broken and require some sort of
punishment. The concept of matching the punishment with the rule
violation requires that the rules be presented in written format
and that the punishment for violations be specified. Rules must
also relate to the stated function of education or the school
process and, again, common sense must prevail in establishing
disciplinary action for breaking a rule. Teachers, in making rules
for individual classroom behavior, should constantly be reminded of
this principle. Furthermore, all students must be aware and prudent
of the rules before disciplinary action can be administered,
Franken (1998). Parents and schools share the responsibility of
promoting values and standards which we hope will help younger
people to establish sound behavioural codes for their lives. It is
important that parentswork in-cooperate with their childs school,
and not just leave the school alone in the dark. Discipline
problems can be dealt with much more effectively if both parties
could share the similar and ideal vision which, leads to prolific
missions. We are all part of the society and our behavior will
reflect current values and mores. Young students are particularly
impressionable and vulnerable if much of their behavior is learned
and they will copy and act out what they observe to be fashionable
and attractive according to Feldman, (1996).
In schools where the head teachers emphasized punishments rather
more than rewards, pupils progress tends to be inhibited; the
greater the number of punishments listed, the more negative were
the effects. In contrast, whenever the number of rewards exceeded
the number of punishments, progress was greater (Duke & Canady,
1991); successful schools have high expectations of discipline, and
promote good relationships between children and staff. They know
that it is not just about how children behave currently in schools
but it is about sound preparation for the later life.
4.0 School-based Assessment System (PBS)
Evaluation apprehension is an issue of increasing import, as
quality assurance procedures increasingly demand lesson
observation. The phenomenon is currently under-researched in
qualified teachers, although there is a modest body of research on
student teachers. Capel (1997) questioned practical teachers
following first and second teaching practices on their levels and
sources of anxiety. Evaluation apprehension emerged as the stressor
in both practices. Similarly, the Morton study (above) found that
of all the sources of stress for student teachers, evaluation
apprehension was the greatest, although it declined following
teaching practice, suggesting that it is reduced by exposure and
positive experiences of observation feedback. The moderating
effects of exposure to lesson observation are an area requiring
further research.
It is rare for teachers to voice out their work concerns in
public. Even the occasional letters to the press are published
under pseudonyms, as the teachers are fully aware of the
consequences if they break the rules. But their disenchantment over
the school-based assessment (PBS) system reached a tipping point
when some of them showed up at a public rally recently to protest
against the PBS. The issue has been brewing for some time, with
stories about teachers having to burn the midnight oil just to key
in data into an online system that was difficult to access.
The PBS was introduced at the Year One level in 2011 and at Form
One in 2012. The planners probably did not anticipate the
cumulative effect of the workload on teachers and data volume on
the online system as more students come under the PBS. Which is why
there was such a palpable sense of relief that greeted the
announcement by Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that
changes made to the PBS will see a reduction in workload for the
teachers by up to 80%.
National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) president
Hashim Adnan said teachers throughout the country would be happy to
hear that they no longer have to wake up in the early hours of the
morning such as at 2am, 3am or 4am just to key in data. But
technical issues aside, we must not lose sight of the purpose of
introducing the PBS in the first place. The primary role of
teachers is to teach. And the self-assessment system is meant to
complement this endeavour as it allows students to be assessed
continuously rather than through set periodic examinations.
Teachers, therefore, must be sensitive to the performance of their
students throughout the year and pay attention to the weaker
students to keep them up to speed.
The intent is to create independent students with critical and
analytical abilities, who are able to understand properly the
subject matter of their studies rather than merely memorising and
regurgitating them in examinations. Which is why the accuracy of
the data is crucial as the quality of the students will now be
judged at the school level itself. And the real test will be for
this years Form Three student, who will no longer take the
centralised examination, Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR), but the
Pentaksiran Tingkatan 3 (PT3 or Form 3 Assessment). Their entry
into Form Four next year including to fully residential schools,
religious secondary schools, Mara Junior Science College, technical
secondary schools and vocational colleges hinges on how accurately
they have been assessed.
5.0 RFLECTION
In this last semester, we are required to complete the Teachers
and Current Challenges (EDU3093i). As my assumption throughout the
whole process of completing this coursework, the teaching
profession is the most important profession in the process of
absorption of knowledge to individuals and society. In the era of
globalization, the role of teachers is becoming increasingly
complex and challenging. The teacher must ensure that the dignity
of the teaching being improved from time to time to a higher level
and thus can realize respected national mission as outlined by the
Prime Minister of Malaysia in the 9th Malaysia Plan.
This coursework really gives new challenge for me as a student
teacher as this is the first time I need to read and analysed the
current issues in education. With the help of my beloved lecturer,
Dr Balakrishnan A/L Govinthasamy, I managed to complete this
coursework on time.
For this assignment, I need to collect articles and journals and
read books about Teachers and Current Challenges. I also read the
newspaper online to search for the relevant issues. Through journal
and articles analysis, I can learn how to analyze the data
collected. Moreover, it has encouraged me to find books, journal
and articles that related to my major issue. With this I can
compare and contrast data of this study with other studies. This
indirectly has given me the opportunity to learn the things that
need to be taken into account in the study. Through the analysis I
was able to strengthen my English proficiency. This is also a bonus
for me to improve my proficiency level.
Besides that, I also can see through the heavy workload of
teachers and stresses they faced was never receded like a seamless
sea. I am also a teacher who has long been in the education arena
for over 13 years. If you are talking about teacher workload seems
this question has not been solved. Proposed thrown ignored by the
responsible party. I remember when I was still new in the field of
education teachers' workload problems are often debated. Day after
day passed, season-by-season changes, but these issues were dealt
with noise.
Voice grievances or issues teachers often heard for decades, but
not been completed. No doubt there are actions taken but it was a
lot of that is ad hoc and politically. Various studies have been
conducted by the Ministry of Education itself such as teacher
workload, but the solutions not lighten the load even further added
to more than double the workload. More irony again is that there is
no one body or trade union acting or representing all teachers.
Hopefully someday the rainbow will be seen between the clouds.
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