KUCHING, Dec 28 — Sarawak Education, Innovation and Talent Development Deputy Minister Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee tonight urged the federal Ministry of Education (MoE) to allow Sarawakian teachers to return home to solve the teacher shortage issue in the state.
He said it is normal for an individual to reject the posting if he or she is not from Sarawak.
Dr Annuar said it is important that MoE does not force teachers from other states to come and serve in Sarawak.
“All Sarawakian teachers serving in other states should automatically be asked to come back to serve in the state,” he said in a dialogue over Television Sarawak (TVS).
Dr Annuar said MoE should implement this policy to reduce the shortage issue.
“There are many teachers from Sarawak who are now serving in Peninsular Malaysia and are interested to come back,” Dr Annuar said.
He was asked to respond to the refusal by about 200 teachers from Peninsular Malaysia who failed to report to the schools they were posted to.
Dr Annuar said he hopes that the shortage of secondary teachers will be fully solved at the primary schools by next year.
The state Education Department recently said that 1,108 teachers from other parts of the country would be posted to Sarawak next year.
However, the state Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development, in its response, said that the state needs an additional 1,500 teachers to fill up the teaching vacancies.
