NUTP Urges MOE to Form Special Committee to Resolve Teachers’ Workload Issues

The National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) has urged the Ministry of Education (MOE) to establish a special committee to comprehensively and effectively address the long-standing issue of excessive workload among teachers.

NUTP President Aminuddin Awang stated that approximately 418,000 teachers nationwide are still burdened with tasks unrelated to their core teaching responsibilities.

“We hope the MOE will resolve this matter holistically and urgently because these non-teaching duties are diverting teachers’ focus from their primary responsibilities.
Although this issue has been raised numerous times, a concrete solution has yet to be felt, especially among grassroots educators,” he said during a press conference in conjunction with NUTP’s Mid-Term Review (2023–2026) held in Teluk Bahang today.

Among the major concerns, Aminuddin highlighted the unfriendly online data management systems, which further complicate and burden educators when filling in required information.

He also noted that the presence of teacher assistants in schools with over 1,500 students is still ineffective, as many teachers remain burdened with administrative tasks in the school offices.

Additionally, a three-day NUTP conference that began last Saturday discussed nine other major issues, which will be submitted to the government, including the MOE and the Public Service Department (JPA), for further action.

One of the proposals includes the need for MOE to formulate specific guidelines to prevent interruptions to teachers outside of working hours, except in emergency cases.

Currently, teachers are often disturbed via messaging apps like WhatsApp or Telegram by school administrators or District Education Offices (PPD) for tasks that could easily be handled during normal working hours the next day.

In a related matter, NUTP also called on the government to increase budget allocations for hiring substitute teachers in Budget 2026, citing a critical shortage during periods when regular teachers are on leave, such as maternity leave or performing the Hajj pilgrimage.

Furthermore, NUTP urged MOE to resolve the shortage of teachers due to retirements and the increasing number of students and classes. The union also recommended a review of the current grade levels for headmasters and senior assistants in primary schools, which are now limited to grades DG13 and DG14.