JOHOR BARU: Out-of-towners are not keen to take up teaching posts in Johor and Selangor, which is the reason for the shortage of teachers in these two states, says Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching.

She named Johor and Selangor as the states in the peninsula where the lack of teachers was the most critical.

“The high cost of living is among the reasons that discouraged many from taking up postings at schools in Selangor and Johor,” she told reporters at the opening of the Research and Education Innovation 2018 at Institut Pendidikan Guru (IPG) Kampus Temenggong Ibrahim here.

Teo said the ministry had set up a taskforce to look into the shortage of teachers.

It was reported that Johor Baru and Pasir Gudang in Johor, and Shah Alam in Selangor, were facing a shortage of staff.

Apparently, teachers from other states would request to be transferred back to their hometown after teaching in Johor and Selangor for a few years.

“We are planning to introduce a special living allowance for teachers in specific areas in Johor and Selangor,” she said, adding that a preliminary study was being done on this.

On Sabah and Sarawak, she pointed out that many from the peninsula were not keen to be posted to schools there especially those located in the interior areas.

Teo said the ministry had a 90:10 quota system where 90% of teachers at schools in Sabah and Sarawak were locals from the two states with the remaining 10% were teachers from the peninsula.

“We have achieved a 87% target. We will not compromise in terms of meeting the minimum academic requirements for Sabahans and Sarawakians to teach in their respective states,” she said.