Govt looks to appoint 317 reserve teachers to fill vacancies

The Malaysian government aims to appoint 317 reserve teacher candidates to address teaching vacancies across the country, according to Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh. Sarawak has recorded 500 teacher vacancies, with 224 in secondary schools and 276 in primary schools. The Education Service Commission (SPP) has been tasked with appointing these candidates, as part of a nationwide effort to fill some of the 880 reserve teacher positions still awaiting offers.

As of September 30, out of the 4,417 reserve teacher candidates from the 2025 intake, 3,537 had already been offered appointments, including 114 from Sarawak. The SPP is currently conducting interviews for the 2026 teacher recruitment drive, which began in May and is projected to conclude in November. In response to a query about reserve teacher candidates from Sarawak, the number of vacancies by specialization, and recruitment plans, Wong stated that Sarawak's overall teacher fill rate stood at 98.84% as of September 30, with secondary schools at 98.61% and primary schools at 98.98%.

Secondary school vacancies encompass specialties like design and technology and science, whereas primary school vacancies are primarily in mathematics, music, and guidance and counseling.