BY CHRISTINA LIAN
KUCHING: The Penan Community Education Programme (PCEP) (2010-2020) run by the Batu Lintang Teacher Training Institute (IPG Batu Lintang) has successfully produced 40 teachers from the Penan community since 2010, said its coordinator Dr Abang Ismail Abang Julhi.
According to him, all the teachers have been placed in several schools near the Penan community settlements throughout the state while another 20 teachers are still waiting for their respective placements.
When asked to comment on his idea to recruit teachers from the Penan community, Dr Abang Ismail said the idea arose when he realised that only one Penan (from Long Lamai) was a teacher around 1985.
“From there, various questions arise — why they are not given the opportunity to become teachers when education is very important to change the fate of a community.
“In line with this effort, we have established the PCEP where a bachelor’s degree programme with a five-year study period has been offered.
“We have targeted 100 Penans to participate in this programme but, now it has reached 120 people and this is an incredible achievement!” he said, adding the programme will end this year.
Further elaborating, Dr Abang Ismail, who is also a senior lecturer at IPG Batu Lintang, added that three IPG campuses throughout the state have been used for this programme, namely IPG Batu Lintang in Kuching, IPG Tun Abdul Razak Campus in Kota Samarahan and IPG Sarawak Campus in Miri where, 60 students (out of 120 students) are still studying at IPG Batu Lintang.
