I strongly support the call for a revamp of the country's education system in the country as made by the former director-general of the Education Ministry Murad Mohamad Nor recently. And I also fully agree with him about leaving politics out of education.

Lately, politics seems to have been used as a justification when addressing issues pertaining to education. This has proven to be an unhealthy trend with futile results over the past decade.

Politics, and partisan politics at that, has been rearing its ugly head in educational matters. It has been an open secret that every decision on education should be based on a political structure. The appointment of school headmasters, senior assistants, and even school wardens are first scrutinised for political justification.

Though many would deny it, this has been a norm even in an opposition-controlled states. From admission into a premier school to the appointment of a university vice-chancellor, politics plays a large role.

One wonders when the towering personalities will emerge from this kind of education system and hierarchy. There must be some form of ethics and discipline even if politics wriggles its way into the country educational system. It has to be limited to a professional separation of powers as enshrined in the Constitution.

Murad has stressed on the difference between education and character building. That, naturally, should be the main caucus of the education system and the whole idea of setting up an educational platform in this country.

Teachers must be trained as teachers professionally, spiritually and physically. Teachers must be able role models for our school children and must appear to be able to create and build good characters for society and country.

There are cases of teachers who choose teaching as a 'last choice' profession after failing to get into their chosen careers. These are not teachers who are spiritually and professionally prepared to be teachers.

Teachers should teach subjects that they were trained as. They should not be substitute teachers for other subjects. Trained science teachers must only teach science subjects while trained art teachers should specialise in art. They can stand in as substitutes occasionally but not permanently.

They must not be given the task of teaching subjects that may appear alien to them as a professional. There are cases where teachers who are not trained as English teachers teaching English in rural schools after headmasters assigned them the job to overcome the lack of properly-trained English teachers.

Teachers should also not be burden with unnecessary tasks of preparing teaching utensils and teaching aids. This will allow them to concentrate fully on educating the children without being overloaded with other extra tasks.

Teachers should also refrain from being too active in other social fields other than those connected with their roles as educators. They can be socially active in social and welfare organisations but to venture into business, politics and youth activities would take up too much of their time not to mention affect their commitment to teaching.

Teachers who undertake part-time work or 'moonlighting' are abandoning their responsibilities as primary educators. They must always remember that they are the prime agents for nation building.