Education Minister Fadhlina stated that this year, the ministry will implement the "Short-term Employment Plan" (MySTEP) in 274 secondary schools nationwide with a student population of over 1,500.
In addition, the plan will also be implemented in 7 special education schools.
She mentioned during the parliamentary debate on the royal address that each school will be allocated 2 assistant teachers to help with paperwork and administrative tasks.
Fadhlina further stated that last year, the Ministry of Education hired and dispatched 13,983 teachers on a contractual basis to teach in various primary schools nationwide to address teacher shortages.
She pointed out that the Education Service Commission officially opened the first round of teacher recruitment applications for 2025 on January 24th, allowing education graduates or university graduates with educational diplomas to apply.
She said that the application submission was closed on February 7th and that applicants will be prioritized for secondary school teaching positions.
17 New Schools Nationwide Expected to Operate This Year
Additionally, Fadhlina stated that it is expected that 17 new schools will begin operations nationwide this year.
She mentioned that these 17 schools are located in Selangor, Malacca, Johor, Kelantan, Terengganu, Sabah, and Sarawak.
She noted that among them, 8 are primary schools and 9 are secondary schools.
She said that in the 2025 fiscal budget, the government approved the construction of 44 new schools, which is higher compared to 26 in 2024, 9 each in 2023 and 2022, and 11 in 2021.
In response to MCA Ayer Hitam MP Dato' Sri Wee Ka Siong's inquiry about the construction progress of Johor Guo He Yao Chinese Primary School and Shen Mu Yu Chinese Primary School, Fadhlina said that the Ministry of Education has provided technical suggestions to the construction committees of these schools to adjust the building maps accordingly.
She stated that the Ministry of Education is still waiting for the construction committee to submit the new building maps.
"As for Shen Mu Yu Chinese Primary School, the Ministry of Education is still waiting for the school's construction committee to submit the construction application."
Furthermore, Fadhlina said that the Ministry of Education is drafting a new educational blueprint to replace the Malaysia Education Development Plan 2013-2025, which will end this year.
She noted that the blueprint covering 2026 to 2035 aims to strengthen the national education system to make it more relevant and meet current and future needs.
"Essentially, the main pillars of the 2026-2035 Education Development Blueprint are the Education Act of 1996 and the aspiration to realize the national education vision."