‘Teachers can't give their best without basic needs'

The Star

10-05-2025

PETALING JAYA: Poor maintenance, outdated facilities and inadequate amenities at some teachers' quarters are dampening educator morale, say educators, with concerns that the impact could undermine the foundation of Malaysia's education system.
'We can't expect teachers to give their best to students when their own basic needs aren't met.
'Poor conditions of teachers' housing 'chips away their motivation and well-being',' said Dr Mohammad Tazli Azizan, who is a co-founder of an establishment that provides training and consultancy services for educators and trainers.
'I've seen firsthand how dedicated teachers push through these challenges, but that's not sustainable.
'It's heartbreaking that in 2025, many teachers, especially in rural Sarawak and other remote areas, still live in quarters that are unsafe and degrading,' he said.
Dr Mohammad Tazli said the issue signals systemic problems such as fragmented infrastructure planning, inconsistent funding and lack of urgency.
Educational equity would only be possible when teachers' welfare is taken care of, he said.
'If we want quality education for all, we must first ensure teachers have safe, dignified living conditions. No exceptions.
'My hope is that the government commits to a long-term, transparent blueprint for improving quarters, with teachers involved in the planning,' he said, adding that it was about political will and valuing Malaysian educators as the backbone of the nation's future.
A group of researchers who recently released an Assessment of Teachers' Perception of Facilities Provision In Teachers' Quarters highlighted that there was an urgent need to address the living conditions at teachers' quarters to ensure a sustainable and conducive housing environment.
The survey, which involved teachers' housing in several states in Malaysia, suggested that current facilities may no longer adequately address teachers' concerns regarding security, convenience and accessibility.
'Overall, these findings underscore the need for targeted upgrades to enhance the quality and safety of teachers' quarters.
'Addressing the identified shortcomings in laundry services, cooking facilities and Internet access, along with improvements in security infrastructure, could help increase overall satisfaction and potentially boost occupancy rates in these quarters,' the researchers from Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia said in the Planning Malaysia journal.
A 2022 survey by the National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) found that 45% of rural teachers reported living in quarters with leaking roofs, broken plumbing or electrical hazards.
In Sarawak, 200 quarters were deemed 'uninhabitable' as of 2023, while 20% of those in Peninsular Malaysia suffered from severe neglect.
Parent Action Group for Education chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim agreed that poor conditions of teachers' quarters would impact the quality of education students receive.
'Teaching is a noble profession. Teachers are professionals and should be treated as such.
'The Education Ministry should give its utmost priority to make teachers' quarters as comfortable as possible,' she said when contacted.
She urged parents and the ­community at large to give support to the NUTP and to push for the government to act on teachers' pleas.