Kuala lumpur: The determination of the initial salary for teachers appointed permanently from Contract of Service (CoS) appointments is governed by the Public Officers (Appointment, Promotion and Termination of Service) Regulations 2012, which considers only the experience gained after obtaining professional teaching qualifications for salary alignment purposes.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh explained that the regulations governing salary matters and appointments are under the jurisdiction of the Education Service Commission (SPP). Any application for salary alignment is subject to the specifications of the service scheme and can only be considered based on recognised experience.
Wong elaborated that for CoS teachers, the period before obtaining a professional qualification cannot be used to determine their initial salary upon absorption into permanent posts. This holds true even though they may have received annual salary increments while serving on contract.
He further mentioned that SPP, as the appointing authority for the education service, decided in February 2020 that candidates appointed on contract as Education Service Officers in grades DG41 or DG9 without a professional teaching qualification must undergo a new interview for permanent appointment after acquiring the qualification.
‘When they enter as CoS teachers, they do not have the professional certificate. Once they obtain it, we will call them for an interview and the majority will be absorbed into our system,’ he noted during a Special Chamber session in Dewan Rakyat.
Wong was responding to a motion by Tan Hong Pin (PH-Bakri) concerning the initial salary determination for CoS teachers offered permanent positions, as some experience a reduction in salary post-appointment.
The CoS scheme, introduced in 2019, was designed as a mechanism to allow individuals without a teaching qualification to serve in schools and undergo professional training at an Institute of Teacher Education (IPG), Wong indicated.
He emphasized that the scheme serves as a temporary entry pathway to address teacher shortages and provides opportunities for candidates without education qualifications to obtain professional certification while receiving a salary.
Despite concerns over salary reductions after obtaining qualifications, Wong assured that the welfare of teachers is prioritized. The CoS scheme offers opportunities such as guaranteed placement for professional studies at IPG and a high likelihood of permanent absorption, which were unavailable before 2019.
The ministry has also made improvements, including setting a higher minimum salary for the DG9 scheme under the Public Service Remuneration System (SSPA) and enhancing benefits for contract officers through related human resource circulars.
Wong concluded, ‘. we need to balance all requests or considerations from various parties. We look after our CoS teachers, we look after our permanently appointed teachers. We look after teachers under the SSPA, and we also look after those under the previous SSM (Malaysian Remuneration System).’