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Temenggong Lau urges stronger support for teachers to tackle shortage in Chinese primary schools
Lau (centre) leads the cake-cutting ceremony to mark the celebration.
SIBU (June 13): School Boards of Directors must actively seek support from the government and Chinese education organisations to provide more in-service training and incentives to retain teachers, said Temenggong Dato Vincent Lau Lee Ming.
The Sibu Division Chinese Community Leaders Association president said that nurturing a stable and professional teaching workforce is key to addressing the longstanding shortage of qualified teachers in Chinese primary schools.
'Hopefully, this would help resolve the shortage of qualified teachers and the attrition of young educators, which has long troubled Chinese primary schools,' he said during the Teacher's Day celebration of SJK(C) Tung Hua today.
Lau, who also chairs the school's Board of Directors, said another pressing challenge lies in the slow pace of updating teaching materials and resources in curriculum development.
'Teachers should not merely be implementers of textbooks, but should take the initiative to become curriculum adapters and content creators,' he said.
He encouraged educators to jointly develop lesson plans and teaching tools tailored to students' needs by integrating teaching content with local culture and real-life contexts to make learning more engaging and practical.
On the growing role of educational technology, Lau emphasised the importance of keeping pace with change, noting that Chinese primary schools must not be left behind.
'We should actively upgrade school networks and infrastructure, encourage teachers to enhance their digital literacy, and promote blended learning models to cultivate students' diverse capabilities,' he said.
Lau also noted that Chinese-language education continues to face systemic challenges such as insufficient funding, land constraints, and bureaucratic hurdles.
'Addressing these issues requires persistent advocacy through school boards, parent-teacher associations, and the Chinese community. We must strive for fair treatment while strengthening communication and cooperation with mainstream society to showcase the contributions and value of Chinese education to national development,' he stressed.
He added that with rising parental expectations for academic achievement and higher education, more attention must also be paid to students' mental health and character development.
'Teachers should serve as life mentors – not just educators, but guides for personal growth – fostering a caring, inclusive, and warm learning environment,' he said.
Although these challenges are significant, Lau expressed confidence that with continuous professional growth of teachers, strong school leadership, and community support, the vision of meaningful education reform is within reach.
'Educational reform cannot rely on teachers alone. It requires the collective effort of the entire educational ecosystem.
'May we join hands and move forward steadily as SJK(C) Tung Hua undergoes its transformation, continuing to shine on the path of Chinese-language education and pave a broader road of learning for future generations,' he concluded. Chinese schools teachers' shortage Vincent Lau
