Jangan tunggu keadaan parah, NUTP gesa nilai guru bermasalah mental

Setiausaha Agung Kesatuan Perkhidmatan Perguruan Kebangsaan (NUTP) Fouzi Singon stressed the significance of establishing a special panel to evaluate teachers dealing with serious and prolonged mental health issues before deciding their suitability for continuing to teach, receiving treatment and recovery, performing duties with certain adaptations or being reassigned to other tasks.

Fouzi emphasized that the panel should involve clinical psychology specialists, psychiatrists, medical staff, education management, and relevant professionals. According to him, the assessment is crucial for determining appropriate actions, including whether the teacher can still teach, needs treatment and recovery time, requires a modified approach to duties, or needs to be reassigned to different tasks.

He emphasized that the system should not wait for a situation to become more serious before taking action. Fouzi acknowledged that the current pressure in the public sector stems from a shortage of workforce, facilities, and equipment, as well as the pressure to meet key performance indicators (KPIs). He pointed out that some staff members may have to use their own money to cover basic needs at work and that salaries are not high enough, but they cannot afford to spend their own money.

Fouzi believed that changing standards, work systems, and technology, including the use of artificial intelligence, also challenge some public servants, especially those who find it difficult to adapt to new systems. In certain cases, seriously ill public servants may undergo a termination process after assessment if necessary. Fouzi stressed that this step is essential to ensure that long-serving staff members with health issues are not forced to perform tasks they can no longer perform.