Seven Initiatives to Transform Aboriginal Education - Malaysian Deputy PM

KUALA LIPIS (Pahang,Malaysia), June 21 (Bernama) - The government plans a paradigm shift under the 'Orang Asli' (aboriginal) Education Transformation programme via seven initiatives to improve performance, says Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. The education minister said the first initiative was to strengthen administration at school, district education office, state education department and ministry level. "The quality of leadership and management at all levels will be enhanced so that issues and problems of aboriginal children are resolved quickly," he said when launching National 'Orang Asli' Education Transformation programme at Betau Primary School here, Thursday. The second initiative was to put elements of basic vocational education in lower secondary schools while the third was to reduce the 30 dropout rate of the aboriginal students by 6 per cent per year. "This situation is alarming and detrimental to the country if drastic action is not taken. I hope in five years, the dropout rate among aboriginal students can be reduced or eliminated to ensure they at least get Malaysia Certificate of Education (SPM)." The fourth initiative was intake of students for the Bachelor of Teaching Special Programme at the Institute of Teacher Education (IPG), Tengku Ampuan Afzan Campus, Kuala Lipis. Muhyiddin said this was to increase the number of aboriginal teachers and correct the imbalance of teachers according to race. The government also plans to establish the post of student management assistant among the aborigines to help teachers in food preparation, personal care and hygiene. "The fifth initiative is to improve the infrastructure for aboriginal education. The government has agreed to add four K9 Special Model Comprehensive Schools." He said K9 models are a combination of primary and lower secondary education up to Secondary Three that come complete with boarding facilities. The sixth initiative was to strengthen collaboration with strategic partners while the seventh was to create a performance detection system for schools and the aboriginal students. -- BERNAMA