PASIR PUTEH, Oct 7 — The Ministry of Education (MoE) is expected to recruit 9,500 new teachers this November to address the current teacher shortage issue.

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said that an immediate placement will made as the interview process has been completed.

"The teacher shortage issue occurs when there are those who retire or quit, we will quickly replace them. That is why this shortage is temporary and the process of hiring teachers is carried out with the Education Services Commission (SPP) as soon as possible to ensure that the vacancy is temporary,” she said.

She said this at a press conference after officiating the Agrotek Madani@KVKPM Carnival 2023 at Pasir Puteh Vocational College, which was also attended by Education director-general Datuk Pkharuddin Ghazali, here today.

Meanwhile, Fadhlina said the school toilet maintenance work under the MoE is 90 per cent complete.

"The project is monitored by the Kelantan Development Department, Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU), Prime Minister’s Department (JPM), I was informed that 90 per cent has been completed.

"We expect the end of October to be able to accurately identify the figure, now everything is ongoing. Alhamdulillah, some have already been implemented,” she said.

In July, the MoE was reported to have given three months to schools nationwide to complete the maintenance of school toilets for the comfort of students through an allocation of RM70,000 to each school. — Bernama