Thousands of teachers are opting for early retirement due to systemic dysfunctions, excessive workloads and poor leadership, says the National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP).
NUTP secretary-general Fouzi Singon said many teachers are passionate about teaching, but are bogged down with clerical and digital tasks unrelated to student development.
“Teachers used to only have to teach, mark books and prepare exam questions, with no added burden of clerical tasks and digitalisation,” he told FMT.
His remarks came after it was reported that 19,179 primary and secondary school teachers retired early between 2022 and May this year, with more than two-thirds citing a “loss of interest”.
Deputy education minister Wong Kah Woh told the Dewan Rakyat that the number stood at 5,306 in 2022, 6,394 (2023), 5,082 (2024), and 2,397 as of May this year.
Fouzi said measures introduced by the education ministry — such as scrapping low-impact programmes, and hiring teaching assistants and invigilators for public examinations — had failed to ease workloads.
He said that, without proper screening and posting, recruitment drives are unlikely to solve the problem, adding that weak leadership was another push factor, with administrators creating “stressful and demoralising” workplaces.
Academician P Gopala Krishnan agreed that the spike in early retirements reflected systemic dysfunction rather than personal choice.
He cited the school-based assessment (PBS) system, which requires continuous assessments and detailed reporting, as one example of burdensome bureaucracy.
“Frequent policy changes, lack of autonomy, and diminished professional respect have transformed teachers from educators into clerks. This erosion of purpose and dignity has led to widespread demoralisation and disengagement,” he said.
Gopala recommended simplifying or abolishing PBS, legislating protected time for teaching, providing genuine mental health support, including on-site counsellors, and involving teachers in policy decisions.
Fouzi also proposed an independent committee to assess teachers’ well-being and school environments, through anonymous evaluations to ensure honest feedback.
