Penetapan Kelayakan Akademik Minimum Guru Prasekolah Di Malaysia

In the month of September 2016, Koperasi Pendidkan Swasta Malaysia Berhad (Educoop) on behalf of its members who are preschool educators wrote to the Minister of Education Malaysia on the minimum Diploma in Early Childhood Education qualification (requirement by Ministry of Education by 2017) for preschool teachers.

Educoop felt that the implementation was too soon and the requirements were too strict. Educoop requested that the ministry also considers teachers with other diploma qualifications (in other fields) such as Montessori, Music, Special Needs, Child Psychology etc instead of limiting teachers to having only Diploma in Early Childhood Education. Educoop also brought out the issue of senior teachers with many years of teaching experience but do not have access or the time and money to pursue a diploma qualification.

On 18^th November 2016, the Ministry of Education (MOE) in its letter to Educoop, thanked Educoop for bringing up the plight of preschool teachers and responded to the issues raised.

MOE stressed the need for Diploma in Early Childhood Education for all preschhol teachers, however, they have accepted Educoop’s proposal to allow experienced / senior teachers who do not have the opportunity to pursue diploma to remain working in early childhood education sectors as “Pembantu Guru”.

Educoop is glad that the Ministry is being considerate of the plight of the many preschool teachers in the country.

Educoop also welcomes professionals from other education sectors to share their plight and concerns so that these may also be addressed accordingly.