Two secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur have backed the National Union of Teaching Profession (NUTP) proposal to increase the ratio of teachers to classes in all schools.

The Star recently reported that the proposal had been submitted to the education ministry last year and that it is still being studied. It calls for 40 teachers, instead of 30, to handle 20 classes.

Contacted today, NUTP secretary-general Lok Yim Pheng said there are 320,000 teachers in primary and secondary schools.

Commenting on the proposal, senior staff members of the secondary schools said they were in agreement with the NUTP and suggested that the education ministry should expedite its decision on the proposal.

They said implementation would improve the quality of education and enable teachers to give more attention to students who are poor or who are average learners.

"More teachers, more control of the students...(there will be) more time for teachers to prepare their materials," said the SMK Lembah Keramat senior assistant of student affairs, who only wanted to be known as Noriza.

Time for research

She said the proposal would assist in developing more qualified students because they will have additional time to discuss their work with teachers.

The principal of another school, who declined identification of herself and the school, cited the example of European countries where teacher-assistants are appointed to help teachers.

The proposed 4:2 ratio will further help teachers to spend more time on research to improve teaching materials, she said.

"It will offer more subject options to teachers, whereby they can choose the subjects in which they are experienced," she said.

She added that it will be important to obtain the co-operation of parents, to ensure that students gain maximum benefit from closer interaction with the teachers.