The National Union of Teaching Profession Malaysia (NUTP) today called on the government to extend the RM300 permanent allowances for all civil servants (Imbuhan Tetap Khidmat Awam-Itka) to cover non-graduate teachers as well.

"The government should be aware that non-graduate teachers play a very important role in human development in this country and they should be given their due recognition," said NUTP secretary-general Lok Yim Pheng in a statement.

"NUTP will continue to struggle to ensure that the Itka allowance for all non-graduate teachers be standardised at RM300 as well," she said.

She added, however, that the union was happy to note that more 20,000 graduate teachers would be getting the standardised Itka allowance of RM300 as stipulated under the 2006 Budget unveiled on Friday.

"We thank the government for recognising teachers with degrees by granting this allowance regardless of whether they are junior or senior teachers. This matter had also been pursued by the NUTP," said Lok.

Under the current Itka allowance scheme, graduate teachers who have served for more than 10 years will be paid RM300 while those with service of up to nine years or less will be granted RM170.