Rina: No need to increase teaching force in IPMa

Kuala Lumpur, May 16: The government sees no necessity to increase the teaching force in Mara Educational Institutions (IPMa) throughout the country for now, said Rural Development Minister, Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun.

She said this was because the ratio of teaching staff to students at all 343 IPMa in the country was still manageable.

“For now, the ratio of teaching force to students in Mara is still manageable, but the teachers have to be more creative and advanced because students today are exposed to technology. “Teachers must have more technological skills and information,” she told reporters after launching the 2019 Teachers’ Day celebrations ‘Hari Guru@KPLB’ here today.

Mara currently has 10,485 teachers and 114,378 students who are important assets to the country’s development.

IPMa comprises 54 Mara Junior Science College, GiatMara (230), Kolej Mara (4), Institusi Kemahiran MARA (14), Kolej Profesional MARA (6), Kolej Kemahiran Tinggi MARA (11), Kolej PolyTech Mara (8), Universiti Kuala Lumpur (12), and one each of Kolej Universiti PolyTech MARA (KUPTM) German Malaysian Institute (GMI), MARA-Japan Industrial Institute (MJII) and UniMARA.

There are also 10,996 Kemas kindergarten colleges with 10,748 teachers for 217,329 children in the country.

Datuk Seri Rina said the marketability rate of Mara graduates through the various IPMa and education schemes, rose to 85 last year compared to 80 per cent the year before. – Bernama