KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 (Bernama) — The death of a female teacher at a school in Hulu Selangor last Thursday has triggered widespread concern, particularly on social media, over the welfare of educators, with many urging the Ministry of Education (MOE) to reassess teachers’ workload.
Social media users have expressed hope that the incident would spur greater efforts to safeguard teachers’ welfare, including reducing non-teaching tasks, which are said to have become increasingly demanding, allowing educators to concentrate on the teaching and learning process (PdP).
Social media user Muhammad Rafee hoped that the MOE would introduce improvements to the existing system by focusing on teachers’ essential duties.
“Teachers’ primary focus should be on teaching, learning and nurturing the next generation of students. The structure at the District Education Office (PPD) level should also be reviewed to ensure teachers are not burdened with KPIs and external programmes that may affect their focus on PdP,” he said.
Fadzil Hilmi also voiced similar concerns, hoping that programmes or activities deemed less impactful could be reduced, while teachers should not be burdened with excessive tasks beyond their classroom duties.
Another social media user, Az Run, suggested that some administrative tasks be handled by dedicated officers to enable teachers to fully focus on the teaching process.
Meanwhile, some netizens expressed hope that complaint channels concerning teachers’ welfare could be further strengthened, with mental health issues and support for educators continuing to receive due attention.
In a social media comment, a teacher named Ng claimed that medical experts had confirmed she was suffering from chronic depression and anxiety, which she said was linked to alleged abuse of power and continuous bullying by her superiors.
Former teacher Mohd Fadli Salleh said that a thorough investigation should be carried out into any factors that may have contributed to the incident, while hoping that the MOE would continue to listen to teachers’ concerns and strengthen efforts to protect their welfare.
However, some netizens urged the public to refrain from making any speculation regarding the cause of the teacher’s death pending the completion of investigations by the authorities.
Hulu Selangor district police chief Superintendent Manimaran Munjandi had earlier confirmed that a a female teacher was found unconscious in the staff room of a school in the district before being taken to Kuala Kubu Bharu Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
He said the investigation into the incident was still ongoing and urged the public to refrain from making any speculation until the probe was completed.
–BERNAMA