BY SARAH HAFIZAH CHANDRA and MARGARET RINGGIT
MIRI: Education may be under the purview of the federal government but the state government has its own model to provide better quality education to Sarawakians.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg stated that this is why Sarawak is brave enough to set up its own international schools.
“Sarawak has a strong government with leaders who are visionary. We have a clear picture for Sarawak up to the year 2030 and beyond.
“Our education policy is a bit on our own even though education is under the federal government. I have an idea to have a model of our own so we can give quality education to our children and grandchildren,” he said.
He said this when officiating at the opening of Riam Hill International Secondary School on Tuesday (Nov 8).
Abang Johari pointed out that one of the important sectors in the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 is education as Sarawak wants to produce talents among Sarawakians.
He said talent development is a very important approach in order to develop Sarawak and in the pursuit of becoming a developed state by the year 2030.
As such, the state government is giving various assistance and putting emphasis on education.
“The state government has taken the assets of various universities in Sarawak such as Curtin University and Swinburne University of Technology. While the syllabus and courses are under the universities’ side in Australia, the assets and financial assistance are given by the state government.
“These institutes of higher learning are a platform for our young to pursue their higher education. When it’s time for them to enter university, if they are eligible, they will be admitted and they are not governed by Unit Pusat Universiti (UPU),” he said.
Abang Johari noted that Sarawakian students currently must apply through UPU to study at local public universities in the state.
“Some applications are accepted while some are rejected. Even though their application is accepted, they are given courses they might not be keen on in the first place.
“Sometimes they want to study engineering but were given social science courses instead. This is what happened, and our students have no option because they want to study in university.
“When the jobs to match with social sciences are not available, this is where they become unemployed graduates. This is the system we are facing, but the GPS state government wants to do reforms to education in Sarawak,” he said.
One of the initiatives to reform education in Sarawak is establishing international schools with international syllabus.
Abang Johari said through this, students can be admitted to any renowned university in the world.
On the Riam Hill International Secondary School’s request to Yayasan Sarawak to send students for enrollment, he said the foundation will look into it.
“The school has a high standard, but we have students who are eligible. Even those who are from the lower income group, if they are eligible, we will send them to study here.
“The school’s syllabus is global therefore the future is very bright for students who are coming to this school,” added Abang Johari who is also the Yayasan Sarawak chairman.
