Don T Put On Airs When Visiting Schools Ministry Officials Told

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The director-general of education, Pkharuddin Ghazali, speaking at a ministry gathering in Putrajaya today. (Bernama pic)PETALING JAYA: Education ministry officials should not put on airs or adopt a superior attitude when visiting schools, the director-general of education, Pkharuddin Ghazali, said today.
Instead, they should place themselves in the shoes of a teacher, and show respect, he said.
“Don’t behave like a secretary-general, director-general or higher-ups as such snobbishness would cause some teachers to feel offended and discouraged,” he said at a gathering of ministry officials in Putrajaya today.
He urged them to emulate the qualities of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, and the Raja Permaisuri Agong, Tunku Azizah Maimunah Iskandariah, when the royal couple met the common people during the recent Get to Know Borneo tour.
His Majesty did not stand on protocol. “If the King can do it, why can’t we?” Sinar Harian quoted him as saying.
Pkharuddin, who goes into compulsory retirement on Monday, said that teachers need a lot of patience, especially in their first 10 years of service.
He said patience was one of the main factors that had shaped his personality. “Those close to me know when I’m having a hard time, but if I rarely see them, they may not know,” he said.
Pkharuddin revealed that when he was facing challenging times he tried to show strength because he led a large organisation. “Patience will invite 1001 solutions, but if you are impatient 1001 problems will appear,” he said.
Pkharuddin entered the public services by starting as a teacher and warden at King George V secondary school in Seremban in June 1989. He became state education director in Negeri Sembilan from 2017 to 2020 and director of examinations before being appointed a deputy director-general of education in October 2021. He became director-general on Sept 23 last year. - FMT

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