The Literature Component for Secondary School textbooks (for Form 1 to 3 and Form 4 to 5) are in schools now. These should be used for the teaching of the literature component in the English classroom next year. Here is the breakdown of the poems, short stories and drama that are included in the textbooks, respectively:

Form 1 to 3:

Poems

1. I Wonder – Jeannie Kirby
2. The River – Valerie Bloom
3. Mr. Nobody – Unknown author
4. Heir Conditioning – M SHANmughalingam
5. A Fighter’s Lines – Marzuki Ali
6. Leisure – William Henry Davies

Short Stories

1. Flipping Fantastic – Jane Langford
2. One Is One and All Alone – Nicholas Fisk

Drama

• Rumplelstiltskin – Angela Lanyon

Form 4 to 5:

Poems

1. In the Midst of Hardship – Latiff Mohidin
2. He Had Such Quiet Eyes – Bibsy Soenharjo
3. Nature – H.D. Carberry
4. Are You Still Playing Your Flute – Zurinah Hassan

Short Stories

1. QWERTYUIOP – Vivien Alcock
2. The Fruitcake Special – Frank Berman

Drama

• Gulp and Gasp – John Townsend

Now, the inclusion of drama is a bit of a surprise. A welcome one though. It should be fun and interesting to teach but with lower skilled students, it could be tough. The cancelation of novels, if it’s true, is a bit discouraging. I’m going to withheld any comment on the choices for the literary texts in the textbooks until I’ve explored them all.

Last March, I and 3 other teachers from my school were called to the District Education Office to receive our promotion letter from the DG41 grade into DG44. It was a time-based promotion and our promotions were backdated to 2006. Nothing much to shout about actually. Just an increase in salary and an advancement to a higher grade. 

Then, in the final week of April, the school’s clerk called me to the office. He showed me a letter and also some Kew. 8 forms, which are the usual forms needed to be filled to make the necessary adjustments for the salary increase. There were red marks all over the forms, made by one of the many clerks at JPN (State Education Office), which usually means that my school’s clerk have to make some corrections and resubmit the forms.

All was well until he pointed out that the clerk at JPN had marked that I was not eligible to have my Anjakan Gaji Kedua, a raise from the second tier or level to the third level of the salary matrix in DG41, be counted in the promotion to DG44. The reason being I am already in DG44 since my promotion was backdated to 2006 so the Anjakan Gaji Kedua in DG41 is not applicable. The other reason is the letter of promotion to DG44 is dated earlier (3 January 2008) than the approval letter for the Anjakan Gaji Kedua (15 February 2008).

I would have let it by if not for my school’s clerk who says that I am entitled to have the amount from the Anjakan Gaji Kedua be counted for balancing the salary increase in new grade. For example, now I am still receiving RM3115.15 per month, at level P2T15 in DG41. Due to the Anjakan Gaji Kedua, I should be receiving  RM3435.28 or P3T16 starting this July. However, according to JPN’s clerk, since I was promoted to DG44 since 2006, I will be getting RM3433.83 at P1T4 in DG44 instead.

That’s RM1.45 lower that what I should receive if  the Anjakan Gaji is counted. I know that it’s a small difference (tiny to some) but according to my clerk, based on his understanding of the Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam’s circular, I should be given either at the same amount (RM3425.28) or the closest higher amount in the new grade, which is RM3584.11 (P1T5) at DG44. That’s a hike of RM150.28! i would also be one T higher than my peers.

There’s also the fact that I receive the Anjakan Gaji Kedua because I passed PTK at Level 2 in 2007. So I called the Ministry and talked to one Encik Zulkifli, an officer at the Human Resource Division. I gave him a detailed background of the problem and he agreed that my school’s clerk was right. He even pointed out the particular paragraph in the circular that actually deals with this particular issue. Armed with that knowledge, I went to see the JPN’s clerk myself.

First, he was adamant that I am not eligible. When I showed him the particular paragraph, he asked me to wait while he conferred with his superior. He later called me into the office of his officer. Inside, there were 5 others, and it looked like they have been called to discuss this issue. The officer in charge said right away that she cannot allow my Anjakan Gaji Kedua be counted as the base for my salary increase for the DG44 promotion. Not even when I showed her the paragraph.

She even said that she have the backing from another officer in Human Resource Division of the Ministry, who apparently was in a conference and was only able to sms. She also mentioned that I wasn’t the first case and if she had allowed my case to go through, she also have to allow the other teachers to have their salary increased. I told her that was a problem she created herself and had nothing to do with mine. She still refused to entertain my complaint so I had no other choice than to take this matter to Putrajaya myself.

Before I did, I called up JPA, the authority in this matter. I managed to talk to a Ketua Penolong Pengarah there. She listened as I gave her the detail of my problem. She asked me a few questions and later agreed that I should receive the amount my clerk had told me. I later called the officer in JPN and told her the detail of my conversation with the KPP. She refused to acknowledge the conversation and what infuriated me more was her refusal to call the KPP herself to discuss this issue.

So, to Putrajaya I went. I made an appointment to meet the KPP at JPA first so there I went, the morning of 10 June. Being the first time going to Putrajaya, I went a little earlier than my appointment at 10 am. I also brought along the missus for support. At 10 sharp I was in the office of the KPP but she had to go out for another business first. After 32 minutes of waiting, I was finally able to see her. She looked at my service record and immediately told me that I am not eligible to have the Anjakan Gaji Kedua as a civil servant can only have one Anjakan in any grade. Since I already got my Anjakan Gaji Pertama in 2005 so, there I cannot have the Anjakan Gaji Kedua.

I was crushed. I was devastated. Coming all the way to Putrajaya only to be told I may not have what I thought I deserved. Instead of going to the Ministry of Education, I decided to go back to my sister’s house. Still, there’s something dangling at the back of my mind. I decided to call En. Zul to thank him for his views and help. En. Zul, however, insisted that I meet him. So off to Putrajaya again I went, with little or no hope whatsoever.

Well, En. Zul kindly informed me that what the KPP at JPA had told me was misleading and I actually had earned the Anjakan Gaji Kedua in accordance to the PTK standard. He also looked further into the real issue between myself and JPN Kelantan. He concluded that I am entitled to a raise and the JPN people has misinformed his superior officer of the real issue. He also pointed out to me some mistakes in my civil service record and I need to address that with JPN also.

I left Putrajaya with a smile on my face and treated my family with outings around KL. Managed to get my kids have their picture taken with an Ultraman and even paid for my missus’s brand new handphone. I drove back to Kelantan a day later.

The next Monday I called En. Zul and he confirmed with his officer that I should get my raise and he is drafting the letter to be sent to JPN Kelantan. I thanked him from the bottom of my heart. A week later, the letter arrived for my copy, as well as a copy for my principal and my guess a copy for JPN as well. Will be heading down to JPN in the next few days with my head held high.

The moral of the story, stand up and fight for your right. Don’t let other people tell you otherwise unless can be proven in black and white.

Till the next update, ciao.

p/s: Just got a call from another teacher, who is in the same boat. He’ll be coming over to discuss his next move.

Today is the first day of school here in Kelantan and also in the Terengganu and Kedah. Along and Kak Ngah are both back in their school uniform and Kak Chik joins them this year by entering the pre-school class at the same school. Wish I had taken a picture of her in her uniform but wasn’t able to since I myself was busy getting ready for work.

Had a rather long assembly this morning at school. It has been almost two month of holiday and the admins have quite a handfuls to say to the students so it wasn’t really surprising. Also, finally got the first timetable for this year’s school session. Couldn’t really blame Ustaz Zaidy on the delay. The school got 7 new teachers and 4 of them had reported in only yesterday. There’s no way he could have expected that. What perplexed me though is out of the 7 teachers, we got 2 Early Childhood Education teachers and 1 Special Needs Education teacher. The last one is rather obvious since there are kids with learning impairment in Kemahang who missed out school  but the first two are not. Early Childhood Education teachers are normally reserved for pre-school classes at primary schools, not a secondary school. Probably all the posts at the primary schools have been filled and as a last resort, they had to be placed in a secondary school. Whatever the case, we welcome them into our fraternity.

Till the next entry.

As I have posted earlier, based on the SMS that I’ve received, I should have scored Aras IV for my overall result. Well, it’s official. I’ve just received the official result slip (which you can also get from your administrative office by now). I’ll just post my slip here for you to see.

For those who sat for the August PTK, you can check your result by sending an SMS. You’ll get back your result also through an SMS. Here’s how:

To get your August result:

1. Type PTK <space> Your IC Number and send to 39003
2. Your result will be sent to you via SMS.

To get your overall/best result:

1. Type PTKBAIK<space> Your IC Number and send to 39003
2. Your overall/best result will be sent to you via SMS.

You’ll be charged 15 sen for sending and 30 sen for receiving.

Alhamdulillah, I managed to score Aras IV for my Umum paper. I’ve already scored Aras IV for my Khusus paper in last year’s PTK (Aras III for Umum) so my overall result should be Aras IV for both papers.

Till the next time, adios.

UITM Kelantan is currently opening application for lecturer posts to be placed at their campuses in Machang and Kota Bharu. To those who are interested, please go to UITM Kelantan’s website to download the application form and advertisement. The posts are:

• PENOLONG PENSYARAH DM29
• PENSYARAH GRED DM41
• PENSYARAH GRED DM45
• PENSYARAH GRED DM51
• PENSYARAH GRED DM53 (PROFESOR MADYA)

I have to pass though I’m really interested. Got my reasons but I have to keep them a to myself first until I get confirmation

Adios.