KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Government Teachers’ Union (KGKS) is fully backing the Sabah government’s effort to address the anomaly in job grade structures at the Sabah Education Department (JPNS) by elevating the matter to the Ministry of Education (MOE).
KGKS President Murkam Hj Hussien said that the issue of job grades, particularly for the deputy director of state education, has long been advocated by the union.
“According to the current JPNS job chart, the grade for the deputy director of education in Sabah and district education officers is the same, which is grade 54.
“KGKS believes that the authority and responsibilities of both positions at the state and district levels are quite different. The role of the deputy director of state education is more significant, and therefore, we at KGKS support the establishment of the JUSA C position to improve the job grade structure at JPNS,” he said.
Murkam was responding to a statement from the Sabah Minister of Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Datuk James Ratib, regarding the issue.
On Friday, James was quoted as saying that the Sabah government’s move to bring the job grade issue to KPM aims to ensure fairness in career pathways and strengthen the effectiveness of education administration in the state.
According to James, the existing job structure shows a significant gap, as the deputy director of JPNS is only at grade 54, while the director is at grade Jusa B, with no Jusa C position as a link.
This situation not only creates injustice in terms of job hierarchy but also affects the motivation and morale of senior education officers, as the grade of the deputy director is equivalent to that of the District Education Officer (PPD), said James.
