Education Dept surveying voter status of teachers

The Selangor Education Department has sent out an internal memo asking for a report on the "voter registration status of teachers", says DAP Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching.

At a press conference in the Parliament lobby today, Teo displayed the memo signed by the department's academic management section head Hasnul Hadi Abdullah Sani and addressed to all deputy district education officers.

A form requiring the officers to list the number of teachers in each school and the total number registered as voters as well as their parliamentary and state constituencies was attached together with the memo dated March 22.

"According to a teacher, this is the first time such a survey is being conducted," said Teo.

Upon completion of the exercise, the officers in charge are required to send the forms to the Education Department's Technical and Vocational Unit, she said.

"This makes some teachers feel intimidated. We are concerned that the government is trying to convey the message to the teachers that they are being watched," Teo said.
She urged the Education Ministry to explain the rationale of having to collect the data from teachers.

“This is because it has nothing to do with education, or their teaching skills or whether they are good teachers,” Teo added.