Sarawak to address teacher shortage with special recruitment exercise, applications to open Aug 1

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By Ashley Sim

KUCHING, July 31: In a decisive move to tackle the ongoing teacher shortage in Sarawak, the State government, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE) and Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Pendidikan (SPP), has announced the launch of the Special Teachers Recruitment for Sarawak 2024.

According to Minister of Education, Innovation, and Talent Development (MEITD) Sarawak, Datuk Seri Roland Sagah Wee Inn, the State is expected to face a shortage of 2,373 teachers by Dec 31 of this year.

“We anticipate that this number will be reduced to 1,130 as a result of SPP recruitment and MOE placement of new teachers between July and Nov of 2024,” he said during the press conference on ‘Addressing Teacher Shortage in Sarawak: New Recruitment Initiatives and Updates’ held today at Sarawak Skills here.

He went on to say that the MOE and SPP had agreed to address the remaining shortage by employing an additional batch under the special recruitment exercise for Sarawak.

The special recruitment, also known as ‘Pengambilan Khas Guru Sarawak 2024’, targets graduates holding a Bachelor’s Degree.

Successful candidates will be employed on a two-year contract, during which they will self-fund a Diploma in Education at the Institute of Teacher Education Malaysia (IPGM) through the Kursus Dalam Cuti (KDC) programme.

After completing the diploma, these candidates will be eligible for permanent teaching positions, pending final approval from the SPP.

“To prevent the issue of teachers requesting transfers out of their assigned schools after appointment and placement, the special recruitment for Sarawak prioritises candidates from the areas where vacancies are available.

“This means that if you are from Baram, and you meet the criteria and pass the interview, you will be stationed at schools in Baram,” Sagah explained.

The minister also stated that all 30 District Education Offices (PPD) in Sarawak currently have teacher vacancies, with the top six being Serian, Daro, Kapit, Subis, Saratok, and Betong, each with over 100 vacancies.

“The largest vacancies by subject are in English, Mathematics, Moral, Preschool, Bahasa Melayu, and Remedial (Pemulihan).

“Additionally, there are vacancies in 22 other subject options, including those in SJKC (Chinese national-type primary schools),” he added.

The application process for the special recruitment will commence in early Aug 2024, with advertisements published on the official SPP portal.

Prospective candidates must submit their applications online via MySPP at https://myspp.spp.gov.my.

The selection process includes the Ujian Kelayakan Calon Guru (UKCG), which evaluates candidates’ character, personality, interests, suitability, and psychological and mental health.

Face-to-face interviews will be conducted in the second week of Sep 2024, and successful candidates will be announced in Oct/Nov 2024, with placements targeted for Nov/Dec 2024.

To ensure widespread awareness and participation, MEITD and the Sarawak State Education Department (JPNS) will conduct extensive roadshows across the State.

These roadshows aim to provide comprehensive information about the recruitment process and offer guidance to candidates preparing for the UKCG.

Sagah further emphasised the urgency of the situation and encouraged unemployed Bachelor Degree holders in Sarawak to take advantage of this opportunity.

“The timeline is short, so I encourage fellow Sarawakians with a Bachelor Degree from local or private institutions and still unemployed to seize this opportunity and submit their applications starting Aug 1,” he said.

The press conference was attended by various officials, including MEITD deputy minister Datuk Francis Harden Hollis, MEITD permanent secretary Adana Jed, SPP secretary Md Radzi Hashim, JPNS deputy director (School Management Sector) Dr Les Met, and Sarawak Skills executive director Hallman Sabri. — DayakDaily

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