KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 — Interim English teachers appointed on April 29, 2019, and whose terms expire on April 21 this year will be appointed to permanent positions if they meet the set conditions, says Senior Education Minister Datuk Mohd Radzi Md Jidin.

He said the teachers had to meet the required proficiency level under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages ​​(CEFR), namely CEFR C1, besides passing the interview.

"This officer will be permanently appointed as an Education Services Officer (PPP) Grade DG41 by the Education Services Commission (SPP),” he said in a statement today.

For teachers who do not meet the requirements of CEFR C1, Radzi said SPP will also interview them for the purpose of permanent appointment as a Grade DG41 PPP, but they would need to reach the CEFR C1 proficiency level during the probationary period, which is within one to three years, for confirmation in service.

He said the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 stipulated that every student who goes through the education system in the country must be proficient and fluent in Malay as well as achieve "independent proficiency” in English according to the CEFR definition.

Radzi said as a result, starting this year, the recruitment of new PPPs for English must take into account the proficiency of the candidates being at the CEFR C1 level.

"The ministry is constantly striving to improve the competency of English teachers to have an impact on teaching and learning in the classroom. This directly increases the level of students’ mastery in English, as aspired, based on the CEFR international standards,” he said. — Bernama