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©New
Sunday Times (Used by permission)
KUALA LUMPUR: The teacher who allegedly made racist remarks
has been transferred to the Selangor Education Department, holding a new
position in which she does not deal with students.
She has also undergone a two-week counselling session on the
importance of national unity.
As to whether she would be teaching again, Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr
Wee Ka Siong was non-committal.
"It depends on the assessment of her counsellors. So far, the reports I've
received are good."
She is expected to be transferred out of the state Education Department and
Selangor altogether, but Wee refused to divulge her next destination.
"I cannot tell you. Morally, I should not tell you. It's a matter of privacy."
The 35-year-old teacher from SM Telok Panglima Garang in Banting, Klang, was
previously sent to a smart school nearer to her house after she allegedly told
students in a Form Four class that she "wanted to test their patience" and began
using derogatory words on them.
The move to the smart school drew criticism as it was regarded as a "reward".
Pressed to explain the move, Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein
said last month that the transfer was because the school needed a replacement
Mathematics teacher.
He had said that he would not tolerate racial abuse in schools but did not want
the teacher to be falsely accused.
MIC secretary-general Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam, meanwhile, was satisfied with the
action taken by the Education Ministry.
However, he hoped that teachers would be trained on the sensitivities of the
communities.
National Union of the Teaching Profession secretary-general Loke Yim Pheng said
the union had been receiving letters, emails and phone calls from teachers about
the incident.
"They told us they were not happy with the way the case was being handled and
the action taken against her. Some had even given their views as to how she
should have been dealt with."
But Loke declined to elaborate on their views.
"In school, all teachers should know that they should treat all children
equally."
Asked if this was the first time such an incident had occurred, Loke said: "We
have had certain problems at times but we try to solve them internally or refer
them to the ministry. I think this incident has been blown up in the media."
A psychological counsellor with the Education and Research Association for
Consumers, Nanthini Ramalo, said she had come across cases where teachers of a
particular race looked down on teachers and students of a different race.
Nanthini, who has been counselling teachers over the last three years, said when
they sought her advice on how to cope with such situations, she told them to
focus on work.
"When they complain about teachers of one race abusing students of another race,
I tell them to look at all students as one.
"After all, why should you feel bad when only students of your race are
victimised? It should not matter what race the student is. What matters is that
a student has been victimised.
"Teachers should think of themselves as teachers first, and not as a Malay,
Chinese or Indian. Problems start when they see themselves according to race."
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Circular No 297/2008
