SENATE Retired English language teachers still have the opportunity to teach again to overcome the shortage of teachers in that subject, said Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan.

“We have given (them) the chance, the problem is when a teacher has retired and has chosen his place of residence, he does not want to work outside that area.

“We have asked, are the teachers willing to teach in other locations, but the teachers are only willing to teach close to the location of their residence,” he said when replying to a supplementary question from Senator Boon Som Inong at the Dewan Negara sitting in Kuala Lumpur today.

Kamalanathan said his ministry had held discussions with the parties concerned, involving not only retired teachers but housewives and individuals skilled in the English language to teach the subject.

He said the ministry might offer them a voluntary cooperation to help improve the usage of the language and as a subject if they meet its guidelines.

Kamalanathan said the government was committed and always find a way to increase the number of English language teachers through various programmes, including the English Language Teachers From India (ELTI) programme.

He said to improve the skills of English language subject teachers, the ministry has implemented the Profesional Upskilling of English Language Teachers (Pro-ELT) programme.

“Up till now, 10,502 teachers have participated in this programme while the ministry has also conducted an Intensive Course in English language Teaching (ICELT) under the Add Option Intervention Programme (PITO),” he said.

Replying to a question from Senator Johari Mat on the extent of the language’s importance, Kamalantahan said English was a global as well an Internet language, which if mastered well, would make the country much sought after.

- Bernama