KUCHING: Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong stressed that he would focus on improving the infrastructure of 960 over rural schools in the state which were in dilapidated conditions.
He said, this matter would be quite challenging and sensitive because education was under the federal list.
This was disclosed by Manyin to reporters after the opening ceremony of First Sitting of Second Term of the 18th State Legislative Assembly (DUN) at new DUN in Petra Jaya here, yesterday.
Manyin added that he will discuss this matter in Kuala Lumpur and will find out the best way to go about it.
“I have to discuss this with Kuala Lumpur on what is the best way to go about it because the Chief Minister urged us to concentrate on 960 over rural schools which are in dilapidated conditions.
“We will evaluate the budget required by us to improve the infrastructure and for that, we may have to use our Development Bank of Sarawak (DBOS) fund and only after that, I can present the Bill to Kuala Lumpur,” he said.
Manyin also stressed, if we want to make our boys and girls playing on the same level field, we need to improve the infrastructure.
“We cannot expect them to perform if they are in dilapidated conditions – there are no even proper chairs and desks.
“Secondly, there are a lot of schools with less students. How do we expect these schools to perform? If we have schools with less students, then they will have no benefit of specialised teachers so, that is why in rural areas, sometimes you find out, teachers specialised in English are also teaching Mathematics and vice versa.
“I believe that we can improve the performances of rural schools if the students would be able to have better facilities and specialised teachers,” he pointed out, adding he would convince Kuala Lumpur to do centralised school; boarding school for the rural area.
Furthermore, he stated that he will meet Chairman of Malaysia Education Service Commission (MESC) Tan Sri Datuk Dr. Haili Dolhan to discuss on how best his ministry can help those 76 who still failed in the Psychometric Test.
