KUCHING: The state government will write to Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on how best it could utilise the Institute of Teacher Education (IPG) Rajang and Miri campuses, said Sarawak Education, Science and Technology Research Minister, Dato Sri Michael Manyin.
He said Sarawak would like to have its own programmes at IPG Rajang while IPG Miri would be suitable for a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) centre as it was surrounded by industries.
“I have gone to Kuala Lumpur to meet the federal education minister on the matter but he told me he could not make any decision because it was the cabinet decision to turn these IPGs to TVET centres.
“So he advised me to get our Chief Minister to write direct to the Prime Minister and we are going to do that soon,” he told reporters here yesterday.
Last year, the federal cabinet decided to close and turn nine IPGs nationwide, including IPG Miri and IPG Rajang to TVET centres.
According to the federal government, Manyin said there were 27 IPGs nationwide and most of them had low enrolment and that was the reason for their closure.
Manyin said his ministry was still in the process to identify the suitable programme to be conducted at IPG Rajang.
Besides IPG Miri and Rajang, the other two IPG in Sarawak are IPG Tun Abdul Razak, Samarahan and IPG Batu Lintang, Kuching, which Manyin said also had low enrolment.
Meanwhile, he said his ministry was working hard to improve students’ performance in schools with the introduction of centralised schools.
Manyin said he was impressed that majority of the state assemblymen, during their discussion two days ago, were in favour of the proposal to merge these schools with low enrolment so that they could get better infrastructure, resources and quality teachers.
