PUTRAJAYA: FOR students, Teachers Day is the time to show their appreciation for their favourite teachers with presents, thank-you cards and flowers.
On May 16, this year, however, teachers nationwide are set to get not only all that, but will also be feted with a line-up of activities and programmes, the main event being the launch of the national Teachers Day celebrations in Nilai, Negri Sembilan.Education Ministry deputy director-general (Teaching Professionalism Development) Datuk Dr Khair Mohamad Yusof said a new category of awards will be given to teachers who have achieved new heights under the Ikon Guru (Icon Teacher) Award.
Khair said at a press conference yesterday that five teachers will be given the award for their achievements in arts, teaching and education, sports, co-curriculum and leadership.
"They will be given acknowledgement for receiving international acclaim in different areas of expertise.
"These young teachers have set the standard for a better generation of teachers, and stand as icons for the youth," he said.
The Icon awards will be given alongside the annual Tokoh Guru Award, another recognition given to honour outstanding teachers and their contributions to the country.
The 2013 National Tokoh Guru Award will be given to three winners, while two more would walk away with the Education Leadership Award (Tokoh Kepimpinan Pendidikan) and the Private School Teacher Award (Tokoh Guru Sekolah Swasta).
Khair said the teachers will also be given the 1Teachers Card, an effort brought about by Bank Simpanan Nasional and the Malaysian Teachers Foundation Berhad.
He said the credit card is a new move to assist the teachers financially.
"The credit card is available to all teachers and will allow them to enjoy the benefits under BSN, and a significantly lower interest rate."
Teachers Day is celebrated annually on May 16 to mark the release of the 1956 Razak Report which is the basis of all education policies up till now.
The celebration is held as an opportunity for the people to thank the teachers and accept their role as one of the country's leading transformation figures.
"It is also for us to uphold the teaching profession, and to strengthen their position in shaping the next generation for the future," said Khair.
The activities for the teachers will start from May 14, he said, with the launch of the Education Exhibition in Paroi, Negri Sembilan, and continue with activities such as a special concert for teachers, a dialogue between the parents, community and the private sector on education, a Teachers Day Forum, and a celebration dinner.
The 42nd Teachers Day celebration, themed "Malaysian Teachers: 1Aspiration 1Agenda", is expected to be launched by the education minister at Nilai's Indoor Stadium.
Khair said the theme was chosen to reflect the shared aspirations and agendas under the different transformation programmes that were introduced by the government.
He said numerous plans have been laid out for education, not just under the National Education Blueprint, and the ministry had strived to incorporate each plan into one agenda to prevent confusion.
He said the concept this year is also futuristic and inclusive.
"Inclusive because it involves teachers from all levels, be it the young ones, the seniors, the retirees, or teachers in rural areas, in the Orang Asli villages, in hospitals and in treatment centres.
"Futuristic because the Education Blueprint is going to be carried out for the next 13 years, and in that period, the Malaysian education system is going to undergo a change that will encompass all the aspirations of both teachers and students."
He said the celebration would also focus on different elements such as innovation, higher-order thinking skills (HOTS), and the 1Malaysia Young Teachers programme that gathers young primary and secondary school teachers to strengthen their ties with the ministry.
More than 2,300 teachers from all over the country, including education officers and teachers' associations, will be involved in the celebration.
He said each state would also have its own Teachers Day celebration to ensure that not a single teacher is left out from feeling that they are truly loved and appreciated on that particular day.
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