The ministry said the teachers who possess the required qualifications and pass the interview process will be absorbed permanently.

“Even those who do not possess a C1 in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) will be interviewed in the near future,” it said in a statement today.

Once they pass the interview and are selected, the ministry said they will be employed on a probationary basis for one to three years, during which time they must achieve the required qualifications.

The ministry said the Education Service Commission (ESC), which acts as the appointing authority for the sector, will interview the teachers concerned.

An initial group of about 400 interim teachers were hired three years ago as a stop-gap measure to ease the shortage in public schools.

It was previously reported that 330 of the teachers were subsequently left in the lurch when they were told they were not even fit to be called for an interview.

Their contracts were set to expire on April 21.

The ESC requires teachers to have either a Band 5 in the Malaysian University English Test or C1 in the CEFR qualification to stand a chance of being appointed permanently.