KUCHING: The Ministry of Education (MoE) is ramping up efforts to increase enrolment rates in both public and private preschools, as well as upper secondary schools in a bid to curb the issue of students dropping out of school.
Deputy Education Minister Lim Hui Ping outlined a series of initiatives aimed at achieving this goal, one of it being the expansion of government preschool classes by 118, which will provide more children aged 4-5 with the opportunity to access preschool education.
“Furthermore, the Private Education Division (PED) will conduct a tour this year to ensure that all private preschools are properly registered.
“Additionally, the Ministry has provided assistance with preschool student fees to ease the family’s burden to encourage parents and guardians from low-income group (B40 group) to send their children to continue preschool education.
“This is to ensure that all children in this country get equal access and do not fall behind in education,” she said during her working visit to Sekolah Kebangasaan (SK) Laksamana here yesterday.
On a related note, Lim stated that the Ministry will also intensify efforts to identify special needs students (MBPK) by conducting more screening sessions for students as young as 4 years old.
“In addition, we will enhance collaboration with industry and advanced training institutes to expand opportunities and marketability for these students.
“To achieve this goal, we will focus on improving the competence of Special Education teachers so that students can be equipped with the necessary skills to make the transition from school to career.
“This effort aligns with the Malaysian Education Development Plan 2013-2025 to improve access and quality of education for students with special educational needs,” she explained.
