The Education Ministry's one-off mass recruitment drive of teachers should not aim to only address unemployment among teaching graduates, said the National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP).

Its president Aminuddin Awang, who welcomed Education Minister Mohd Radzi Md Jidin's announcement today of aiming to hire 18,702 teachers, said focus should be given to ensure quality and interests of individuals to be recruited next month for placement in schools beginning October.

"We need people who want to be...