INTERACTIVE: STEM teachers on the decline

Lesser educators: Higher education institutions are churning out fewer STEM teachers as the number of students enrolling in science classes continues to drop.

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia has four times more arts and language teachers compared to science educators which may hamper efforts to produce IR.4.0 talents in line with rising industry demand.

Teacher graduates from Malaysia’s public higher education institutions (IPTAs) in 2019 nearly four times more arts and language subject option graduates compared to STEM subject options, data from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Universiti Malaya (UM) and Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), reveal.