Sabah schools boosted by deployment of 1,000 New Teachers

2 October 2025

KOTA KINABALU: The Education Service Commission (SPP) has deployed 1,000 new teachers to schools across Sabah this year, comprising 315 for primary schools and 685 for secondary schools.

SPP chairman Dato’ Adzman Talib said the placements form part of the 21,348 Education Service Officers required nationwide in 2025, as determined by the Ministry of Education.

“As of 30 June, Sabah’s teacher placement rate stood at 97.78 per cent, with 44,058 teachers assigned compared to 45,057 approved posts across 1,298 schools under the Ministry,” he said during a briefing to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor at Menara Kinabalu on Wednesday.

Adzman acknowledged that, despite the high placement rate, certain schools in Sabah still face teacher shortages, but stressed that continuous efforts are being made to close this gap.

He highlighted early retirement as a key challenge, with 12,607 teachers nationwide leaving the profession prematurely in 2024 compared with 13,192 in 2023. In Sabah alone, 947 cases were recorded last year, up from 813 in 2023.

Administrative workload and overlapping digitalisation demands were among the main reasons cited by teachers for early retirement, he added.

“SPP is working closely with the Education Ministry to devise comprehensive solutions to sustain the teaching workforce,” said Adzman, who also commended the State Government under Hajiji’s leadership for strengthening educational excellence through various initiatives supporting schools and students in Sabah.

Hajiji, meanwhile, expressed his appreciation for SPP’s commitment to appointing competent teachers to meet national education needs.

Also present at the courtesy visit were SPP member from Sabah, Datin Seri Panglima Dr Hajah Nuinda Haji Alias; SPP secretary, Md Radzi Hassim; and Sabah Branch Secretariat section secretary, Intan Zainab Mohd Bustan.

In a separate event, Hajiji was given a demonstration of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital education innovation by Albert Yek, director of local firm Samasama Works Sdn Bhd. The collaboration with the Sabah Education Department will see AI-powered digital learning tools introduced to schools across the state, with an initial 100 units to be distributed.

The event was also attended by the Sabah Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Sabah Education Director Datuk Raisin Saidin, and senior officers from several related departments.