Pay the teachers what they deserve

Athena is in the process of perfecting her potty training. She only started taking off her diapers a few days ago and she's 99% fully trained already.

She's three years old now and growing up quite fast – at a rate of a year every 12 months. It's astonishing! And in another four years she'll be ready for primary school.

That's when the headache happens. The important decision to make about her education. Should we send her to a public school or a private school? Religious school or home school?

It used to be a no-brainer for me. I went to government school and I turned out alright. So Athena would go to government school too. No doubt about it.

But the horror stories that I've been hearing about the education system in the country have really spooked me. And now, I am definitely full of doubt.

I've heard it all. From English language teachers who don't know grammar, physical education teachers teaching mathematics, to drug addicts teaching Bahasa Malaysia.

I can't verify if this is all true. But the rumour mill is definitely working overtime when it comes to these stories being spread around among parents.

But one thing is a fact. Malaysia's education system has a lot to be desired. We have students finishing school not having proper communication and critical thinking skills.

Many people blame the education system and many blame the teachers. I have to say that it is a combination of both. We are lacking a good system, and lacking enough good teachers.

The frequent language switches from Bahasa Malaysia to English to Bahasa Malaysia, and even the drilling of students to only answer exam questions, are all wrecking havoc on the students.

Then there is the issue of the teachers. It seems that in Malaysia, teaching is one of the most undesired jobs.

One of the main reasons is the low pay that teachers get. Other less demanding jobs in different industries pay way more than the average teacher's salary.

So, when secondary school students have to pick an area of study upon entering the university, they don't make "teacher" their first choice.

Only when a student is unable to get into other fields will they opt for teaching. So the cream of the crop is gone and the bottom scum remains.

I don't mean to sound harsh. I know they are many good teachers in the country. I've been lucky to have had some of them teach me during my school days.

(Hats off to Mr. P. Manoharan, my biology teacher, and Mr. Zainudin Ahmad Kamal AKA Zak Kapcai, my hostel warden, at STAR, Ipoh. From my primary school SRK St. Joseph in Johor Bahru, Mrs. Ayadurai. And from SMK La Salle Brickfields, Mrs. Fatimah Mohd Tahir, my Bahasa Malaysia teacher. Thanks for everything!).

However, we need to face reality and the number of good and outstanding teachers are only a small percentage if compared to the entire teacher population.

We can't blame the teachers. They made decisions based on their own realities too. And the situation just forces them to do what they need to do to survive.

The government must raise the average salary of teachers, to a level that people who hold the nation's future in their hands deserve.

When that happens, a chain reaction will be triggered. An automatic filtering system will exist to weed out the best who decide to choose teaching as their career.

And these potential teachers will start feeling a self-worth that is positive to their attitude and self-esteem, as they know their responsibilities and that they are being compensated justly.

Malaysian society will also experience a change in their perception of teachers. They will be seen as not only a noble profession, but also economically respected. You can't deny that is important!

In the meantime, for the teachers who are out there doing their best and dedicating their lives to educating our youth despite the situation they are in, my hats are off to all of them. Have a very happy Teachers' Day! – May 16, 2014.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.