Accra:Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh has announced that the Ministry of Education (MOE) has requested the Education Service Commission (SPP) to appoint 317 reserve teacher candidates to fill teaching vacancies across the nation, including Sarawak. This request, made in September 2026, pertains to a segment of the 880 remaining reserve teacher candidates awaiting offers.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, out of the 4,417 reserve teacher candidates from the 2025 intake, 3,537 have received appointment offers. This includes 114 candidates from Sarawak as of September 30. The SPP is currently conducting interviews for the 2026 teacher recruitment drive, which started in May 2026 and is expected to conclude in November 2026, to address these vacancies.

Responding to inquiries from Ahmad Johnie Zawawi (GPS-Igan) concerning the number of reserve teacher candidates from Sarawak and vacancy statistics by specialization, Wong noted that new placements of teachers and graduates from the Teacher Education Institutes (IPG) on September 30 have increased Sarawak's overall teacher fill rate to 98.84 percent. This includes a 98.61 percent fill rate in secondary schools and 98.98 percent in primary schools.

Sarawak currently has 500 teacher vacancies, with 224 in secondary schools and 276 in primary schools. In secondary schools, vacancies include specializations such as Design and Technology (RBT) and Science, while primary schools have higher vacancies in Mathematics, Music, and Guidance and Counseling specializations.