WILLIAM GHANI BINA, PPN, ABS President Sarawak Teachers' Union

STU's Vision and Mission It is STU's Vision to have a just and peaceful society as we strive to achieve a developed nation status by the year 2020 and beyond. Thus it is our mission to ensure that the engineers of this vision - the teachers - are given fair opportunities to organise themselves collectively and professionally, given a dignified status relevant to their roles and reponsibilities to mould future educated and balanced citizens of this great nation. We strongly subscribe to the belief that professional development of education is the life-line of the nation. To carry out this task, the teachers should be involed in all policy formulating processes through presentation from their unions. We note with concern that there are a lot of rooms for improvement to this effect, such as collective bargaining, consultative and advisory roles in government and its related agencies. STU welcomes planned change and it is positive and deemed necessary; but such change should not cause undue stress and unnecessary sacrifices on the part of the teachers. The union's mission shall be charted by its members and guided by its established and founding motto - Social Justice and Peace. We are confident that given the necessary understanding from all relevant parties especially teachers themselves, STU can play a pragmatic role in nation building without degrading of teachers' status in the society. We subscribe to self-help, self-reliant, free, democratic and independent principles of operation. Thus we would continue to strive to be economically sound, far-sighted and consultative in approach as well as guided by pro-active leadership with co-operative and committed membership. Thus, our mission, today and tomorrow and as it was yesterday, is to develope happy and dedicated teachers to utilise education to guide future generations of citizens prepare for their future as well as for the future of Malaysia as a prominent partner in the global village through the 21st century. At present, we have altogether 20 branches spread over the whole state of Sarawak which has been divided into nine Divisions and 28 Districts.