MIRI – There are over 3,000 vacancies for teachers throughout Sarawak that need to be filled before the next school year, which is only a few months away.
This large number of vacant teaching posts statewide opened up following the retirement of many teachers as well as those who have been given instructions by the Education Department to transfer to other states.
State Deputy Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister Datuk Annuar Rapaee today said his ministry was recently made aware of these latest statistics.
“There will be more than 3,000 positions for teachers throughout Sarawak that need to be filled or else we will face serious shortages of teachers in the next school year.
“The 3,000 plus vacancies surfaced following the retirement and transfers of teachers very soon.
“My ministry was told that the federal Education Ministry will be hiring an additional 9,500 teachers by this November to cater to the whole country.
“It looks like a big number of them will have to be sent to Sarawak. This must be given priority due to the big number of immediate vacancies coming up,” he said.
Annuar said this after officiating a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony between Hikmah Islamic Technology College Kuching and Sarawak Skills Development Centre Kuching.
He called on the federal ministry to be more strict with those teachers assigned to Sarawak but who had rejected the transfer.
“There are many experienced teachers and new teachers who have rejected transfers to this state.
“The federal ministry must find a solution to this or else there will be no end to the shortage of teachers in Sarawak,” he said.
Annuar expects the federal ministry to give immediate attention to this state due to the sheer size of teaching staff needed in schools scattered throughout. – The Vibes, October 18, 2023
