One-off recruitment for teachers at interview stage, says Mohamad

KUCHING (Bernama): The one-off recruitment exercise to overcome the shortage of teachers in Johor, Sabah and Sarawak is still at the interview stage, said Deputy Education Minister ll Datuk Mohamad Alamin.

He however said that with the intake of 18,000 new teachers, the prolonged shortage over the past few years will be overcome.

"The ministry will give priority to Sabah and Sarawak. Aside the two states, Johor is also experiencing a shortage of teachers,” he said told a media conference after a working visit to Sekolah Kebangsaan Pendidikan Khas Matang Jaya here today.

At the Dewan Rakyat sitting last week, Senior Education Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin said based on MOE data, there were 21,564 vacancies for teachers nationwide as of Sept 19.

Meanwhile, Sarawak Education Department (JPNS) director Dr Norisah Suhaili said of the total 39,000 teachers in the state, less than one per cent have yet to receive their Covid-19 vaccination.

"There are teachers who refused to be vaccinated for health and religious reasons while the rest said they were still unprepared. The ministry will continue to call them up for face-to-face meetings,” she added. - Bernama