YAYASAN Sarawak International Secondary School (YSISS) is currently on the right track in providing opportunities for rural students and those from low-income families by setting aside 50 per cent of placements for students from these backgrounds.
Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation, and Talent Development Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee said so far, the B40 group makes up 55.4 per cent of the students, while 32.3 per cent are from M40 families, and 12.3 per cent from the T20 group.
“Meaning we have achieved our goal. Regarding the ethnic breakdown, Malay students make up 36.2 per cent, Bidayuh 19.1 per cent, Iban 18.7 per cent, Chinese 12.2 per cent, Orang Ulu 3.7 per cent, Melanau 7 per cent, and other communities’ 2.2 per cent,” he said.
He said this in reply to Christopher Gira (GPS-Tamin) who asked on the ethnic and socio-economic background of students studying at the YSISS during the question-and-answer session on Wednesday (Nov 13).
He stressed that student enrollment at the YSISS in Petra Jaya and along the Batu 12 Kuching-Serian road represents the diversity of Sarawak, which will also be reflected in the YSISS campuses being built in Sibu, Bintulu, Miri, and Betong.
“All students may enrol based on the primary criterion of achieving Band 5 in the Grade 6 assessment, which is conducted by Yayasan Sarawak in collaboration with Swinburne University.
“If they pass and achieve excellent results, they are eligible to enter any YSISS school. Therefore, there is no question of racial quotas; it is purely merit-based – those who excel can gain admission,” he said.
Therefore, he advised all elected representatives to focus on the schools in their respective areas to ensure that there are eligible students from their regions who can gain admission to this school.
On the benefits or future pathway for YSISS students, Dr Annuar added that graduates will sit for the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), enabling them to attend prestigious universities abroad.
“They are also given the option to take the SPM if they choose not to study overseas,” he added.
Meanwhile, regarding the number of Sarawak students funded by Yayasan Sarawak for higher studies, Dr Annuar said the number of students funded by Yayasan Sarawak so far, for both IPTA and IPTS locally and internationally, stands at 41,856.
“Of these, 41,599 are funded domestically, while 257 are sponsored to study abroad,” he added.
