By Nur Ashikin Louis
KOTA SAMARAHAN, Sept 19: Ninety-five per cent of teachers in the State are Sarawakians but the State still faces a teacher shortage for certain subjects.
Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD) Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn noted that while the State has exceeded its 90:10 ratio target, the teacher shortage is still an issue that needs to be addressed in order for the State’s education sector to progress.
“The teacher shortage that we have is for certain subjects only such as Pendidikan Agama Islam.
“This will of course involve different groups of teachers,” he told reporters after officiating at the handover of rero:micro robot kits at Teachers’ Education Institute Tun Abdul Razak Campus (IPGKTAR) here today.
Sagah also revealed that a discussion on the teacher shortage issue in Sarawak had been held with the Education Service Commission on Sept 8.
“We have discussed with them and it is up to them later on to work out with Ministry of Education (MoE) to sort out this problem,” he added.
At the event, a total of 41 primary schools under the Samarahan District Education Office were given rero:micro robot kits to drive robotics learning programmes.
This followed a successful pilot project involving 10 schools organised by IPGKTAR Robotics Club led by coordinator Dr Tay Soon Hiang, in July and August.
Sagah disclosed that similar programmes related to computerisation and engineering will be conducted in other parts of Sarawak with the help of Teachers’ Education Institutes (IPG) and universities.
Also present were Deputy Minister for Talent Development Datuk Francis Harden Hollis, MEITD permanent secretary Datu Kameri Affandi, Sarawak Education Department deputy director (Learning Sector) Dr Les Met, political secretary to the Premier, Demen Rejek, and IPGKTAR director Anis Alisya Abdullah. — DayakDaily
