Govt allocates RM48 million to recruit substitute teachers

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31  -- The Education Ministry has allocated RM48 million for the recruitment of 21,656 substitute teachers this year compared to RM40 million last year to overcome the current shortage of teachers, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching said the shortage was due to the mismatch between the vacancies and the number of teachers who graduated from the Institutes of Teacher Education (IPGM) each year.

“For example, we need over 6,000 teachers in national schools this year, but only 1,676 people graduated from IPGM and would be placed in the schools this November.

"So to address this problem, the ministry will take the initiative to train interim teachers next February and we target 3,000 teachers for national schools and 800 for Chinese national-type schools,” she said during Question Time here.

The government is always ready to provide adequate provision for hiring substitute teachers in accordance with its current financial position, she added.

Meanwhile, the proposal on the placement of clerical staff in schools to ease the burden of teachers, especially in clerical tasks, was still in the stage of study. 

"Currently, the interim teacher approach has been implemented and we hope that soon we can come up with a long term solution to address the issue," she said.

-- BERNAMA