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A. Recruitment Process

The advertisement usually appears in April for the preparatory course and June for the postgraduate Diploma in Education course. Applicants are required to sit for a qualifying test (Mtest). Successful candidates are called for interviews which are conducted at selected Institute of Education Malaysia. The prerequisite is the SPM/Matriculation for preparatory courses and a bachelor/ Masters degree for the postgraduate course.

B. Teacher Preparation

There are many ways to be trained as a teacher as shown in the chart “Pathways to be a certified teacher in Malaysia”. Effective from January 2007, the various Institute of Education Malaysia are preparing only primary school teachers at the graduate and post-graduate level. Trained graduate teachers start at a salary scale of grade DG41, Level P1 and Step 2 or otherwise depending on their qualifications (refer Salary Scheme of Government Teachers).

Every year, if the teacher satisfies all specified conditions such as the performance level is above 80%, there is an increment in the same level to the next step, for example from P1T2 to P1T3 and so on. Within 1 to 3 years, a graduate teacher will be confirmed in the post as a Graduate Education Officer grade DG41.

He or she is now eligible to apply for the ‘Competency Level Evaluation” (Penilaian Tahap Kecekapan or PTK) course. To be eligible for a promotion to a higher grade, a teacher has to obtain a minimum level of 3 for both the coursework and written examinations. In addition, the teacher has to satisfy 3 other conditions; yearly performance level must be above 80%, be recommended by the principal/headmaster to the post and there are vacancies for the post. If the teacher passes the course at level 4 for the coursework and level 4 for the written examination, he or she will move to a higher level P2 and later to P3 respectively in the same grade.

After 10 years of teaching in the same grade, the teacher qualifies for ‘Time-Scale promotion’ and satisfying all specified conditions, he or she is promoted to grade DG44. The teacher can also be promoted to an administrative post at a higher grade based on recommendation and vacancies for the post. This cycle of taking PTK and satisfying all specified conditions is adhered for promotion to higher scales such as grade DG48, DG52, DG54, Special Grade or Jusa and so on.

At present, a one-year specialist, in-service course is also available for trained teachers at selected Institute of Education Malaysia. Successful candidates are given full-pay leave with an allowance of RM 15.00 per day.

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