SERIAN: The Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development is set to implement a new strategy aimed at elevating Sarawak’s national average grade (GPN), according to Deputy Minister Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee.
The Sarawak government is gearing up to ensure young students can benefit from the upcoming free tertiary-level education policy scheduled to roll out in 2026.
In alignment with the goal of extending free tertiary education to students in rural areas, he stressed the need to enhance the state’s GPN by 2026.
He noted that, under the new strategy, special attention should be directed towards the 92 out of 185 schools in Sarawak, representing 52 per cent, undergoing the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.
“We need to improve the overall performance of schools. Focusing solely on schools with already-good results might leave the underperforming ones dragging down the overall performance.
“While acknowledging the importance of supporting good schools, our primary focus should be on elevating the performance of schools with poor results, particularly those in rural areas.
“The objective of offering free tertiary education is specifically to benefit students in rural areas, ensuring that our goals are aligned with our targets.”
Dr Annuar was speaking to the media after officiating the ‘Peratus Layak Sijil Serian’ (PlaSS) 2.0 programme at SMK Taee here on Friday (Jan 19).
To achieve these goals, he assured the formation of a steering committee tasked with optimising the ministry’s approach to implementing the new strategy.
Dr Annuar, entrusted to lead the steering committee, highlighted their role in formulating how channels of assistance, including funds from the Sarawak government and the Sarawak Foundation, can be leveraged to generate positive impacts for the students.
Expressing optimism, he stated that the new approach would empower underperforming students to excel in their SPM, paving the way for them to seize the opportunity for free tertiary education by 2026.
“We do not have much time. The state government has set the year 2026 for every child in Sarawak to receive free education.
“Hopefully, with this strategy, we will be able to make improvements. It is not an easy task or a decision made overnight. Please bear with us as we work towards this goal.”
