Overwhelming response to special recruitment drive with 15,000 applicants vying for 1,134 teaching vacancies

KOTA SAMARAHAN (Aug 13): The special recruitment drive for teachers in Sarawak this year has received an overwhelming response, with about 15,000 applications received so far, said Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn.

The Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister said various approaches will be used to evaluate the applications considering that there are only 1,134 teacher vacancies, adding that candidates will be selected not just based on their academic results as detailed assessments need to be carried out.

“I hope the graduates who are not yet employed will not be disappointed because the competition is very fierce. The evaluation of applications is not only based on academic results.

“So because of that, I believe the Education Services Commission (SPP) will also conduct interviews regarding attitudes, abilities and so on,” he told a press conference at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak here yesterday.

At the same time, he expressed his appreciation to the Ministry of Education (MoE) and SPP for giving Sarawak a special opportunity to continue the programme to address the serious shortage of teachers in all 30 education districts in the state.

“We had this programme before in Sarawak but only for a year I think, and then we still faced the problem of lack of teachers. So we want to solve this problem now and we hope to solve this problem with the programme.”

Sagah added that SPP will do its best to place successful applicants at their preferred location.

“Let’s say they are from a place far from the service area, if possible, we might place them to teach in their own hometown. It’s important that they don’t face problems like applying for transfer, like the problem we’re facing now,” he said.

Recently, Sagah’s ministry had publicised a large-scale special teacher recruitment advertisement for Sarawak, starting Aug 1 and ending on Aug 23.

The recruitment programme is open to all graduates who have a bachelor’s degree in Education and graduates of non-education bachelor’s degree.

Successful candidates will be offered a two-year contract and required to attend a teaching diploma course at their own expense at a Teacher Education Institute through the ‘Kursus Dalam Cuti (holiday training course).

After completing the teaching diploma, candidates will be offered a permanent position as a teacher, subject to a final screening by the Public Services Commission (SPA).

Although all 30 education districts in Sarawak currently have teacher vacancies, with Serian, Daro, Kapit, Subis, Saratok and Betong having the worst shortage, each with more than 100 vacancies.

The most critical shortage of teachers is in the subjects of English, Mathematics, Moral Education, Preschool, Malay and Remedial Education, in addition to vacancies in 22 other subjects, including positions in Chinese National Type Schools (SJKC).

Interviews are scheduled for the second week of September, with results expected to be announced in October or November and teacher placements targeted in November and December.