Is teaching losing its lustre?

Early this year, a teacher was investigated for telling her student to “go back to China” because the latter did not understand Bahasa Malaysia. And just last month, two others were brought to court for caning their charges.

Once deemed a noble profession, teaching is now facing intense public scrutiny, often fueled by social media, where isolated incidents are amplified.

The erosion of professional esteem among educators, said Assistant Prof Dr Zaida Mustafa, who heads the education department at UCSI University’s Faculty of Social Sciences and Liberal Arts, is a significant and central reason why teaching is losing its lustre.

“Teachers in Malaysia used to be held in high regard by the community.

“Today, the perception among top-tier graduates is that the challenges, which include dealing with difficult parents, far outweigh the rewards,” she said, adding that this has led to the diminishing appeal of the teaching profession.

This is compounded by the heavy administrative workload which makes the profession look less like a respected academic career and more like a demanding clerical job, she added.

“Teachers also feel they have less professional autonomy and authority in the classroom due to rigid curriculum requirements and increased interference from parents and sometimes, even politicians,” she said.

She blames social media for making thi