Fadhlina said the ministry hired 20,173 new teachers last year, a significant increase from the 13,983 hired in 2024.

“On the other hand, the number of teachers opting for voluntary retirement showed a declining trend. In 2025, 4,271 teachers opted to retire, compared with 5,082 in 2024.

“Taking into account the placement of new teachers in 2025, 97.68% of teacher positions nationwide have been filled as of Dec 31,” she said in a written parliamentary reply.

Fadhlina said the increase in teacher intake had stabilised the teaching ecosystem in schools nationwide.

She believed this had helped improve the quality of the national education system, citing the rising number of students passing the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia from 2016 (85.2%) to 2024 (94.01%).

She was replying to Doris Sophia Brodi (GPS-Sri Aman), who asked for the latest statistics on teacher intake and retirements.