KOTA KINABALU: The Education Service Commission (SPP) has placed 1,000 new teachers in schools across Sabah this year, comprising 315 for primary schools and 685 for secondary schools.
SPP chairman Datuk Seri Adzman Talib said the placements are part of the 21,348 Education Service Officers required nationwide in 2025, as set by the Education Ministry.
“As of June 30, Sabah’s teacher placement rate has reached 97.78 per cent, with 44,058 teachers assigned compared to 45,057 approved posts in 1,298 schools under Education Ministry,” he said at the briefing to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor at Menara Kinabalu on Wednesday (Oct 2).
Adzman said that despite the high placement rate, some schools in Sabah still face teacher shortages but that continuous efforts are underway to close this gap.
He noted that a key challenge is the rising number of teachers opting for early retirement.
In 2024, 12,607 teachers nationwide retired early compared with 13,192 in 2023.
In Sabah alone, 947 cases were recorded last year, up from 813 in 2023. Administrative workload and overlapping demands from digitalisation were among the reasons teachers chose to leave the profession early, he added.
“SPP is working closely with the Education Ministry to develop comprehensive solutions to sustain the teaching workforce,” Adzman said.
He also praised the state government under Hajiji’s leadership for enhancing educational excellence through various initiatives and support for schools and students in Sabah.
Hajiji, meanwhile, expressed appreciation for SPP’s efforts in appointing competent teachers to meet national education needs.
In a separate event, the Chief Minister was given a demonstration of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital education innovation by Albert Yek, director of local company Samasama Works Sdn Bhd.
Yek said the collaboration with the Sabah Education Department aims to introduce AI-powered digital learning tools to schools across the state, with an initial 100 units to be distributed.
