This year’s Teacher’s Day theme ‘Guru Bitara, Nadi Negara’ (Teacher Champions, the Nation’s Pulse), is government’s continued focus on strengthening the teaching profession as a key pillar of national development.
Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said the concept of ‘Guru Bitara’ is more then traditional teaching roles, emphasising educators as mentors who actively shape students into future leaders. Wong has explained that “Guru Bitara” is not limiting completing the syllabus, instead it creates meaningful learning experiences and adapts to challenges within the education systems.
He added that priority is to nurture more educators who are knowledgeable, skilled, critical thinkers and guided by strong values.
Highlighting the scale of national education landscape, Wong said that Malaysia has more than 5.1 Million students, 420, 000 educators and over 10,000 schools nationwide now. He stressed that teachers remain a important force in ensuring the system functions effectively and evolve with time.
Strengthening the Teaching Workforce
The MOE (Ministry of Education) has taken steps to address workforce needs with over 53,000 new teachers trained and deployed from 2023 and last year. At the same time, the Institute of Teacher Education continues to produce qualified educators, especially for primary schools.
This year’s Teacher’s Day celebration will take place on 15th May and 16th May in Perak, while Negeri Sembilan is set to host new year’s event. Apart from the celebrations, Wong said the #terimakasihcikgu aims to involve parents, communities and the private sector more actively in supporting schools. And added that appreciation for teachers should go beyond just a single day.
Sources: MalayMail
