KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry will deploy 10,096 new teachers nationwide next month to fill existing vacancies and address shortages in several key subjects.
Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said the ministry is committed to resolving teacher shortages through continuous recruitment and placement efforts across all states.
"As of Aug 31, the ministry approved 431,128 teacher posts, of which 416,096 have been filled – a placement rate of 96.51%," he told the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (Oct 28).
He said the highest placement rates were recorded in Putrajaya (100%), Sabah (98%), and Labuan (97.7%), while Johor (95.31%), Pahang (95.47%), Sarawak (95.93%), and Penang (95.97%) were slightly below the national average.
"The Education Ministry is aware that some subjects still face shortages, particularly Special Education, Bahasa Melayu, English, Physical Education, Islamic Studies, Moral Education, and Design and Technology. We have introduced several measures to ensure qualified and capable candidates can fill these positions," Wong said.
He added that as of Sept 22, a total of 10,045 newly appointed teachers had been placed in schools nationwide.
With the additional 10,096 to be deployed in November, the ministry will have assigned 20,141 new teachers this year alone.
Wong said the recruitment and placement processes are coordinated with several agencies, including the Education Service Commission, the Public Service Department and the Higher Education Ministry.
