During the Sibu by-election DPm Muhyiddin command 3000 teachers and the school principals to his 3-day election campaign meetings. One would ask: at that time where was Dr George Chan who now oppose mixing teachers and politics?
‘Teaching and politics is like water and oil’
August 9, 2010, Monday
MIRI: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan is against allowing teachers to be active in politics.
He said having politically-active teachers could cause teachers’ core business of teaching to become ‘dysfunctional’.
“Teaching cannot mix with politics. From my experience, politics is not an easy thing to handle.
“Anyway, I believe all of you (teachers) are too busy with your daily teaching chores and won’t have time for politics,” he said at Sarawak Teachers’ Union (STU) ‘45th Anniversary-cum- Bintang Setia Guru (BSG) Awards’ here yesterday.
Recently, Chief Secretary to the government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan announced that graduate teachers in Grades DG41 to DG48 are allowed to play an active part in politics, effective August 1 this year.
Dr Chan admitted that in the old days it was common for teachers to be involved in politics. This was because in those days not many people with high professional backgrounds were involved in political matters.
But today, although this group of people was now very active in politics, they had also found the goings-on a great challenge.
“Just focus totally on teaching. Your (teachers) commitment is vital in helping the government to produce quality human capital for the country,” Dr Chan stressed.
He also advised teachers in the rural areas to take whatever shortcomings they faced as a challenge to improve the overall school education performance.
Instead of just complaining, teachers should adopt a positive mindset for the benefit of their students.
“Please remember that education is a great tool to help rural children escape from the poverty trap and to live a better life,” he said.
He later announced a RM10,000 grant under the Minor Rural Project (MRP) fund for STU. The gathering also saw the presentation of Bintang Setia Guru (BSG) awards 2010 to six retired teachers — Anthony Kule Lalo (SK Kuala Baram 2), Katty Lew Shau Lin (SMK St. Columba Miri), Virginia John @ Lim Sok Hia (SK Tudan), Elizabeth Tan Choon Siew (SMK Luak), Joseph Sanong (SK Temenggong Dato Muip) and Chung Fui Min (SJK Chung Hua Lutong).
Also present were Miri District Education officer Rosnani Yunus and STU Miri chairman Jalong Wan.
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