There are several reasons, which amongst them are the urgent need to monitor and facilitate the development and contribution of several institutions that have been set up by the State over the years, for the setting up of the State Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Research in Sarawak.
More importantly, urgent efforts must be made to improve or upgrade the physical conditions of dilapidated schools, to provide opportunities for pupils in low enrolment schools to study in schools that are well – equipped and that having the environment that is conducive for studies.
Besides, there is the urgent need to nurture and cultivate interests among young children to pursue studies in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics or STEM education and take immediate actions to improve the standard of English in schools.
Essentially, efforts must be made to review and intensify action to assist students to take up science and engineering programs such as medicine, engineering, computer science, agriculture, forestry and continually fund research organizations so that the state can harness research and development activities towards improving productivity, quality of life and subsequently high income economy.
As education is under the federal list, the State is setting up the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Research with the desire to work together with the federal Government and at the same time to explore other possibilities on how to improve the current status, in the interest of the Rakyat particularly Sarawakians.
The scope of the State Ministry will include primary up to tertiary education and technical education, which plays a central role in the country’s pursuit of economic growth and national development.
Its priorities are the dilapidated schools, the low enrollment schools, which cause the poor performances of students, English, the STEM education and technological research.
A total of 1,020 schools, comprising secondary and primary schools out of 1,454 of them or 70% of them in Sarawak are being categorized as dilapidated schools with 415 of them being categorized as “critically dilapidated condition” based on the database of Sarawak Education Department.
Out of the total number of 1,454 schools, 190 are secondary schools and 1,264, primary schools. Out of the 960 rural schools, 62 are secondary schools and 898, primary schools. .
The Low Enrolment Schools or “Sekolah Kurang Murid” is a phenomenon in rural areas due to scattered settlements. This has deprived students of better facilities and amenities including access to specialized teachers or “guru pakar”, which are crucial for the performance of the students.
As a consequence, a great number of the State’s young boys and girls do not enjoy the environment that is conducive for learning and realize their full potentials.
This has resulted in opportunity loss, not only to individuals but their families and the Nation in term of human capital.
These individuals, if given the opportunity to study in an environment that is conducive for learning or in well – equipped schools, would have fared well to become professionals and successful individuals in the State or country.
The loss opportunities, if they were to be converted into dollars and cents or monetary and development terms, could easily amount to millions and billions of losses, which State has endured far too long.
The Chief Minister, Datuk Amar Abang Haji Johari Tun Openg has already pledged to use the State’s own fund to re-build or upgrade the schools for the sake of the school –going children throughout the State.
The Minister of the newly – established Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Research, Datuk Seri Michael Manyin anak Jawong, in his winding speech during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the Yang di Pertua Negeri Sarawak, Tun Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud, during the last sitting of the State Legislative Assembly, said the Ministry would formulate a comprehensive plan to resolve the problem of dilapidated condition of schools and low enrolment schools in Sarawak.
Besides, there is a need to nurture and cultivate interests among young children in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics or STEM education and ultimately increase the enrolment in Science stream in schools.
Currently, the enrolment in the science stream for Sarawak schools is about 26% against the target of 60%. This is far below the target resulting in higher institutions of learning. As a consequence, the State lacks qualified students to take up science and engineering programs such as medicine, engineering, computer science, agriculture, forestry just to name a few.
Generally, the State will intensify efforts in the development of human capital and innovation with the aspiration to attain the status of a developed state with high income economy towards the year 2030.
In this regards, the State must intervene and work together with the federal authorities to resolve the dilapidated condition of schools and low enrolment schools. The State cannot afford to compromise on entry requirement for Science and Engineering courses. Therefore, there is an urgent need to review and intensify action on this particular issue.
Datuk Seri Michael Manyin anak Jawong said the State Government, through its various agencies, has invested quite heavily in several institutions of higher learning such as University College of Technology Sarawak, Sibu (UCTS) or Kolej Laila Taib Sibu, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak, Kuching, Curtin University Malaysia, Miri, Centre of Technical Excellence (CENTEX) and Sarawak Skills Development Centre (PPKS).
He said his Ministry would develop a comprehensive plan in line with the wishes of the public for better proficiency and command of English to meet the requirement of industry. It is very urgent to have immediate actions to improve the standard of English in schools.
The State, over the years, has continually funded research organizations as Research, development and innovation, which is the key to Sarawak’s economic growth and to become a global player, so that it can harness research and development
activities towards improving productivity, quality of life and subsequently high income economy.
He said the State or the nation’s success in the global economy depends fundamentally on knowledge, skills, competencies and the innovativeness of the people. It is no surprise that nations with higher education levels tend to enjoy greater economic prosperity.
Hence, education, which is fundamental to nation building and unity, provides individuals with the opportunity to improve their lives, become successful members of the community and active contributors to national development.
For example, a study conducted by Jeffery D. Sachs and Andrew M. Warner of Harvard University says: “One of the surprising features of modern economic growth is that economies abundant in natural resources have tended to grow slower than economies without substantial natural resources.”
The study reveals that the former did not put enough emphasis on developing human capital (education) while the later put a lot of emphasis on human capital, just like Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The study also comments that countries with abundant natural resources suffer from the luxury of their abundant natural resources. Sarawak should not fall into this category.
Datuk Seri Michael Manyin says his Ministry will strategize, formulate plans and work together with our federal counterparts to matters relating to education in Sarawak.
However, he needs time to study issue and challenges involved in particular with regard to education and the physical development of the schools.
He recalls when he first came to the State Legislative Assembly about 20 years ago, the debates were almost 100% in English. Today, although all the Members are proficient in English, 80% of them prefer to use Bahasa Malaysia during the debate. This is symptomatic of the problem that is being faced in schools where students are reluctant to use English resulting in the decline of its standard.
He is confident that the State will achieve 90:10 ratios of local teachers in Sarawak to teachers from other states. At the moment, 83.57% of the teachers serving in Sarawak are local. The State Education Department has formulated strategies to ensure the target can be achieved by the end of 2018.
Datuk Seri Michael Manyin hopes the State will be able to train more local people to become Ustaz or religious teachers to meet the requirement for their services. At the moment the Ministry of Education has to send religious teachers from Semenanjung Malaysia to teach in Sarawak.
He says Sarawak has to leap frog through research, development and commercialization to ensure that Sarawak will not only be able to attain the status of a developed State with high income economy by the Year 2030
but to become the most successful and progressive state in the country.
Indisputably, innovation drives economic growth and at the heart of innovation, is research and development (R & D) that produces new knowledge, techniques and technologies throughout its findings.
Sarawak has several research agencies such as CRAUN Research, Agriculture Research Centre (ARC), UNIMAS, Sarawak Tropical Peat Research Institute (TROPI) and Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) that carry out R & D on Nipah, marine and other resources.
Datuk Seri Michael Manyin, who spent 44 years in the classroom, 19 years as a student and 25 years as a teacher with education still very much in his blood, dedicates special message to teachers in conjunction with Teachers’ Day with the theme “Guru Pembina Negara Bangsa” or (Teachers as builders of the Nation).
Quote:
I am a Teacher
Behind those doctors, behind those lawyers and behind those engineers, it is me a teacher.
Behind those accountants, behind those economists, behind those businessmen and consultants, It is me a teacher
Even behind those teachers, lecturers and professors, it is me a teacher.
Above those astronomers, pilots and space travelers, it is me a teacher
I carry the light even though they may not recognize me or have forgotten what I have taught them, but I am still a teacher
I don’t qualify for a bungalow or villa nor earn enough money to buy expensive house or luxury cars like those successful lawyers, doctors, accountants, engineers and businessmen, but yes! I am a teacher
Some say that I have too many holidays and never knowing that I spend those holidays either correcting papers or planning what and how I am going to teach when I go back to school, college, university.
Because I am teacher sometimes I get confused and even stressed by the ever changing policies over what and how I have to teach.
But despite all that I am still a teacher and I love to teach and I am still teaching.
On pay days, I don’t laugh like those successful professionals like doctors, lawyers, engineers, accounts and businessmen but by the next day I love to share a smile with those whom I teach because I am a teacher.
The main source of my satisfaction is when I see my former students growing successful having all those assets and bravely facing the world and its challenges with confidence,
So I say I taught them in spite of living in a world driven by Google, because I am a teacher.
It doesn’t matter how the society and the rest of the world look at me, it doesn’t matter how much more others earn that I do, it doesn’t matter that others drive while I walk, because all what they have is through me – a teacher.
