PRESS STATEMENT

Increasing RM500,000 Limit Does Not Improve Education Standards Dr. Jeffrey
Kota Kinabalu: The DPM cum Education Ministers move to increase the authorization limit of State Education Directors is welcomed and a right move in the right direction but it does not help to improve declining education standards and too little in the case of Sabah and Sarawak said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, STAR Sabah Chief, commenting on the limit increase from RM500,000.00 to RM5.0 million annually. Although welcomed whole-heartedly, it is hoped that the increase is not window dressing and done to appease the growing discontentment with the Education Ministrys central control and declining education standards. However, the decision to increase approval limit does not in any way improve the education and learning standards although it leads to reduction in lead time to improve school facilities and it removes the need to refer to Putrajaya for approval. This alone emphasizes the fact that education needs to be de-centralized and the States need to be empowered in education. At the same time, the increased limit does not really help Sabah and Sarawak as it is too little. This is principally due the fact that schools in Sabah and Sarawak have been neglected for the last 50 years. On the other hand, the biased development and spending strategies by the Malayan/Malaysian federal government has seen schools in the Peninsula been upgraded tremendously over the last 50 years and with new schools built all over the Peninsula. In Putrajaya and the newer schools in other states, even primary school are better than colleges in Sabah and Sarawak. From the outside, one would think that these primary schools are colleges. Inside, especially secondary schools, many have state-of-the-art facilities. The two incidents on school opening day in Sabah clearly reflects the problem of education in Sabah and the need to return education to Sabah control with its own Ministry of Education. The federal Education Ministry is not suited to manage education in Sabah. The first incident at SMK Kundasang where 1,000 students were stranded without a school would not have happened if the power to decide to build the school buildings lay with an autonomous Sabah Education Department under the control of the Sabah government. The new school was to be completed in March 2013 but as at January 2014, construction work had not even started. On 4th January, the Sabah State Education Director visited SMK Kundasang to have a first hand look himself. But was he able to do anything or was he powerless to do anything?

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Alas, it is not to be as it is under the bureaucracy and remote control of Putrajaya. So, the problem at SMK Kundasang is not unexpected as it happened when this bureaucracy and remote control is compounded with a neglect and no-priority policy for Sabah by the federal government. The other incident was at SJK(C) Che Hwa in Kolombong, Inanam where the Chinese students only represented 42% of the new intake compared to the 58% bumiputra enrolment. In addition, 90% of students had their pre-school education in Chinese. This schooling scenario with a large non-Chinese student enrolment in a Chinese school in Sabah is typical throughout Sabah. This is further confirmed in SJK(C) Chung Hwa Likas, where 151 or 51.9% out of the 291 Primary I students were non-Chinese. However, the federal education policys biasness towards Chinese schools in the Peninsula has left Chinese schools in Sabah in a lurch. Chinese schools in Sabah cannot be equated with the counterparts in the Peninsula. Yes, the Sabah government performs much better than other State governments with grants of up to RM130,000 for Chinese schools but this is done for political efficacy to draw votes of the Chinese community. With these grants, the Umno/BN government have exploited it to the hilt politically and used as a boast that the opposition cannot do better. Education is a government responsibility. As the opposition is not in government, of course, it cannot do better. Give the opposition to helm the Sabah government and Chinese education may be fully funded. Giving grants of more than RM130,000 would be a certainty compared to the Umno/BN government. When in government, the opposition can certainly do better than Umno/BN now. While the Umno/BN government boasts of this grant, in reality, it is only a token sum. Many a parent and teacher in Chinese schools will tell you that a substantial part of their school time is spent thinking of fund-raising due to insufficient government support. For an enrolment of 1,000 students, the grant works out to only RM130 per student annually. This is pittance compared to the RM3,831 the federal government spends on each student in national-type primary schools and RM5,093 for each secondary student annually based on the 2012 national education budget of RM54.59 billion. Both incidents clearly proves that education needs to be re-established under the control of the Sabah government. At the same time, the Sabah government need to seriously review and re-assess the education policy and administration in Sabah and move towards the re-establishment of Sabahs own Ministry of Education and a vision towards building towering Sabahans that will drive the growth of Sabah into a developed nation status. The regress and falling standards of education in Sabah needs to be arrested and addressed and the current export of Sabah youths to the Peninsula and Singapore to do factory jobs need to corrected. As the DPM cum Education Minister had expounded that the increase of the approval limit is a move towards the de-centralization and empowerment of the State Education Departments, it need to be expedited so that education is returned to the Sabah government as envisaged and provided under Point No. 15 of the 20-Points. The Honourable DPM is strongly urged to consider this move expeditiously. Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan

Chairman, STAR Sabah 05 January 2014

State education directors can now approve projects, says Muhyiddin Bernama
J ANUARY 02, 2014

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (pic) said state education directors can now approve projects costing up to RM5 million annually. This is another step in the transformation of education aimed at empowering the state education departments and district education offices under the first phase of the Malaysian Education Development Plan (PPPM) 2013-2025. "The ministry secretary-general has approved the delegation of power to state education offices which previously could only spend RM500,000 annually," he said after visiting SJKC Chung Hwa today. Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said with the approval, state education directors could address problems when implementing the projects. "They can call for tender to resolve matters related to infrastructure and acquisition that has to be made by the states". He said it was meant to decentralise decisions and speed up the approval process by bypassing the Education Ministry and ensure smooth learning in schools. Bernama, January 2, 2014.

State Education Directors Can Now Approve RM5 Mln Projects - Muhyiddin

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 2 (Bernama) - Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said state education directors can now approve projects costing up to RM5 million annually. This is another step in the transformation of education aimed at empowering the state education departments and district education offices under the first phase of the Malaysian Education Development Plan (PPPM) 2013-2025. "The ministry secretary-general has approved the delegation of power to state education offices which previously could only spend RM500,000 annually," he said after visiting SJKC Chung Hwa, in the capital, Thursday. Earlier, he visited SK Presint 14(1) Putrajaya, SMK St. Gabriel in Kampung Pandan and SJKT Kampung Pandan in Jalan Thaver. Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said with the approval, state education directors could address problems when implementing the projects. "They can call for tender to resolve matters related to infrastructure and acquisition that has to be made by the states," he said. He said it was meant to decentralise decisions and speed up the approval process by bypassing the Eduction Ministry and ensure smooth learning in schools.

The government recognises criticisms of educational achievements by certain parties and plans several initiatives under PPPM that would be implemented in phases. "Implementing all these over a short period is just not possible. It has to be implemented in phases, hence the 13 years given. "This process will proceed continuously and so that we can correct whatever weaknesses or improve the quality of learning," Muhyiddin said. This includes the ability of schools to meet the ministry's Key Performance Indicators (KPI) of one student, one table, one chair and one set of textbooks. "The schools did not face any problem and everything proceeded smoothly," he said adding the role of parents and the community were vital in ensuring that the education system achieve the goals set. However, the four schools visited required certain improvements that would be implemented using the 2014 Budget passed by parliament recently. --BERNAMA

No school for 1,000 in Kundasang

Published on: Friday, January 03, 2014

Kundasang: About 1,000 students of SMK Kundasang were not able to attend school when it reopened Thursday as a Sabah Education Department promise of building a new school was apparently not kept. The students had nowhere to return to for their studies as their old school site was too dangerous and unstable while the construction of the new school, which was promised to be completed by March this year, shows no sign of starting. Due to the problems faced, the students are now on an extended 'holiday' due to the unfinished school in Mesilou and a non-conducive studying environment. The school's PTA has decided to send a letter to the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in order to request his involvement in the matter. Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) Chairman, Japiril Suhaimin, said the school moved to a temporary site while waiting for the completion of the new school. "In early 2013, both teachers and students moved to the old site of SMK Agama Ranau so as to allow the construction of the new school in Kampung Mesilou. "We moved after safety investigations of the original school site saw that the building structure and site itself were unstable. During this time, the students suffered on many different levels. They had to endure dilapidated classroom conditions, no electricity, no windows, no proper toilets and the school had regular problems with muddy floods, he said.

He also said that many students have stopped coming to school, as it is too much of a hassle. The students have to wake up at 4am in order to prepare themselves for school and make their way to a bus provided by the Education Ministry. "The bus leaves any student who come later than 6.30am in order to make it to school on time. The distance between their homes and the temporary school is about 20km with unsatisfactory roads. This is not only unsafe for the students but also the bus drivers and teachers. "Also, the cost of transport, which is shouldered by the Ministry, had reached RM1 million. If used properly, these funds could be directed into the restoration of the original school site," he told Daily Express. Parents of the students are willing and ready to move back to the original school site and even conduct gotongroyong activities in order the school for the students, he said. "The parents are sympathetic to the students who are eager to learn and students are worried that they might be left behind by order schools," he said. When contacted, State Education Director Datuk Jame Alip said: "To my understanding, the school has not been built because its construction is being handled by the Works Ministry. Apart from that, we are trying to make the temporary site more conducive for the students and teachers. We will work non-stop so as to ready the classrooms by next Monday. "Also, if there are any other schools experiencing any sort of problem, do not hesitate to contact the department. If we do not take care of our future, who will?" he said. In PAPAR, immigrant children were found to be outnumbering local pupils in SK Pekan Kinarut - about 60 per cent of about 260 pupils who registered for Primary One were offspring of migrants. Many local parents were forced to put their children in schools elsewhere. The school's headmaster, Sung Diana, said the school does not discriminate against immigrant children because all children have the basic rights to education. "Of course, we could not accommodate everybody. But they (immigrants) are very persistent. They will come again and again to plead their case if we rejected their applications. "We have to take pity on them because they too want their children to be able to read and write. We cannot deny this privilege to them. After all, that it our national education policy," he said. The school, which was established in 1937, is within walking distance from the Filipino Refugee Resettlement Scheme and had been enrolling immigrant children in its register since their influx in the 1970s. The town has four primary schools including one Chinese school. The other primary national schools are SK Tampasak and SK Mook. The only secondary school is SMK Kinarut, also within walking distance from the settlement in Kg Laut. Most of the local pupils enrolled in Primary One in SK Pekan Kinarut this year went to the school's kindergarten, which is also within its compound. Others went to Kemas kindergarten in their respective villages. "The immigrant children would undergo pre-school in their settlement.

Usually, these were set up and run by private individuals or NGOs," said the school's student affairs teacher Rosly Mohd Jasri. Rosly added that the school is already overcrowded but the administration is working hard to accommodate everybody. "Currently, we have six classes for each level. And for each of the levels, two classes would consist of local students and three classes of immigrant children. The other class is a mix of local and immigrant pupils," he said. An average class would consist of between 40 and 50 pupils each. The school has two schooling sessions; the morning session for Primary Four to Six and the afternoon session for Primary One to Three. Last year, the school's UPSR passing rate increased by 1.87 per cent to 32.37 per cent compared to the previous year's 31.27 per cent. Three of its pupils scored 5A's compared to 2012 where only two pupils scored 5A's. A total of 241 pupils in the school sat for the exam in 2013 with one absentee due to illness. Meanwhile, in Kinarut's only Chinese primary school, SJKC Kin Kiau, about 70 pupils were registered for this year's Primary One. The school's student affairs officer said of these pupils, less than five pupils are Chinese. "Most of our students are bumiputera, mainly Kadazandusun and Malays," she said, adding that only one student scored 5A's in last year's UPSR examination. A total of 40,290 pupils are expected to be registered to enter Primary One Statewide this year. The number is an increase of 3,253 compared to last year where only 37,037 pupils were enrolled.

New Chinese school opens with 58% bumi pupils Posted on January 3, 2014, Friday

Lui (sixth right), board of directors and school building committee inspecting the school in Kolombong on its opening day.

KOTA KINABALU: A total 57 students turned up at the newly opened SJK(C) Che Hwa Kolombong for the first day of school yesterday. Twenty-four of them or 42 per cent are Chinese, 16 Muslim bumiputras and 17 non-Muslim bumiputras.

SJK(C) Che Hwa board chairman Datuk Michael Lui said the school only managed to open two classes in this new academic year as parents were still unfamiliar and lack confidence in the school. However, Lui believed that SJK(C) Che Hwa was a new beginning and was confident that the school would do its best to educate students in the two classes to boost public confidence of the school. SJK(C) Che Hwa is a brand new school. I hope the headmaster will rise to the challenge and achieve good results. Student enrollment will naturally increase then, he said after visiting the school with the board of directors and school building committee here yesterday. Although 58 per cent of the new students were non-Chinese, Lui said 90 per cent had received preschool education in Chinese, which was a prerequisite for enrollment. Students at SJK(C) Che Hwa came from Penampang, Likas, Kolombong and Menggatal, among other places. Lui, who is also Kota Kinabalu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KKCCCI) president, said the headmaster had strategized plans to make SJK(C) Che Hwa a school of excellence. The board of directors are experienced individuals in Chinese education, some of whom are also SJK(C) Chung Hwa Kota Kinabalu board of directors, he said, adding that these factors would contribute towards achieving their goals. Lui also urged the Public Works Department to improve the road leading to the entrance of the school for the sake of drivers. SJK(C) Che Hwa, which sits on 6.8 acres of land in Kolombong, is expected to be developed to its full scale within 10 years, including a standard sports arena. Lui said SJK(C) Che Hwa would be the largest Chinese primary school in Kota Kinabalu in 20 years, with 72 classrooms and could accommodate up to 3,000 students. Besides the headmaster, the school has seven teachers, a clerk, two security personnel and two cleaning personnel. Six of the teachers are senior Chinese teachers, and one is a Malay teacher. Two of them have over 20 years of teaching experience. The school will focus on the teaching of Mandarin at the initial stage to build a strong foundation of the language among the students, so that they can fully absorb learning materials when the subjects are taught in Mandarin. To do so, the school is increasing the number of Chinese lessons by three hours, from 46 lessons to 52 lessons.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/01/03/new-chinese-school-opens-with-58-bumipupils/#ixzz2pRRpglq3 Learn Mandarin before enrolling in Chinese primary schools KKCCCI Posted on January 3, 2014, Friday KOTA KINABALU: Parents are advised to send their children to pre-schools with Mandarin as the medium of instruction if they wish to enroll their children in Chinese primary schools later on. Kota Kinabalu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KKCCCI) president Datuk Michael Lui said Chinese primary schools were using Mandarin in teaching mathematics and science subjects. Hence, bumiputra students who are not well versed in Mandarin may face difficulty in learning mathematics and science, he said, after visiting SJK(C) Chung Hwa Likas on the first day of school here yesterday. SJK(C) Chung Hwa Likas and SJK(C) Chung Hwa Kota Kinabalu reported 291 and 400 student intakes respectively. A total of 315 have registered to enroll in Primary One at SJK(C) Chung Hwa Likas, while 291 of them turned up for the first day of school. The 291 students will be distributed in eight classes. Of the 291 new Primary One students, 139 are Chinese, 151 are non-Chinese and a Korean. The total number of students at SJK(C) Chung Hwa Likas is 1,886. In SJK(C) Chung Hwa Kota Kinabalu, 97 per cent of the 400 students attended class yesterday. The ratio of bumiputra to Chinese students is 70:30. SJK(C) Chung Hwa Kota Kinabalu has 2,300 students and 86 teachers.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/01/03/learn-mandarin-before-enrolling-in-chineseprimary-schools-kkccci/#ixzz2pRVZFrgN