BN Manifesto: ensure students to be prepared of digital practices in education
KUALA LUMPUR, April 7 (Bernama) - The Barisan Nasional (BN) has promised an inclusive future for the country's education sector to face the Industrial Revolution 4.0 with the addition of five million digital-skilled school students.
This is among the pledges contained in the BN manifesto for the 14th General Election, themed 'With BN, For A Greater Malaysia' which was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is also BN chairman, here tonight.
BN also promised to reduce teachers' burden on administration workload and prepare them with the best equipment in the classroom.
BN also guarantees the upgrading of all schools nationwide within five years.
The following are among the contents of the BN manifesto:
- Upgrading the Integrated Special Education Programme (PPKI) in all schools involved to unlock the potential of differently-abled children.
- Increasing the limit of the Special Incentive Matching Grant for the 1Malaysia Education Savings Scheme to RM1,000.
- Implementing appropriate classroom sizes and reducing teachers' administrative workload as well as providing better teaching-aid equipment.
- Increasing the number of subjects in the Dual Language Programme (DLP) to make it more comprehensive.
- Improving English language proficiency in schools through the Dual Language Programme (DLP), High Immersion Programme (HIP) and the introduction of English medium schools in Sabah and Sarawak as pilot projects.
- Providing incentives to capable graduates and retired language teachers to administer online teaching and learning services.
- Expanding the implementation of 'Anak Angkat' programmes for socio-cultural development of students, teachers and public sector employees.
- Building and increasing the capacity of boarding facilities for rural students across the country.
- Expanding high speed Internet access (100 Gbps) to all public universities.
- Allocating RM12 million for special education programmes to rural communities benefiting 615,000 participants.
- Providing a RM3 million allocation to conduct parenting workshops in 168 identified locations.
- Transforming the infrastructure at public universities to achieve smart campus status with the introduction of cashless transactions.
- Reducing dropout rates among Orang Asli students and increasing the number of literacy programmes in rural area.
- Strengthening the multi-stream education system by approving the construction of new facilities according to needs, alongside special allocations for development and maintenance to all Government assisted schools (SBK), including National Type Chinese Schools (SJKC) and National Type Tamil Schools (SJKT).
- Upgrading the facilities at nine Excellent Schools and Two High-Performance Schools for the children of armed forces personnel.
- Upgrading the facilities in classrooms and teachers' room at 38 schools located within military camps.
- Upgrading the National Arts Culture and Heritage Academy (Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan, ASWARA) to P. Ramlee University in order to drive the creative and cultural industries in Malaysia.
- Establishing the Al-Quran University to produce more huffaz graduates who possess skills not only in memorising the Quran, but are equipped with expertise in other professional fields.
- Producing 125,000 huffaz with professional qualifications such as science, mathematics and engineering.
- Complementing Tahfiz Schools with Giat MARA skills training scheme.
- Increasing the number of suraus that are allowed to hold Friday prayers.
- Establishing a special fund to upgrade the education and safety regulations of religious schools to meet national standards.
- Improving the quality and expertise of stakeholders in Islamic administration such as the imam, KAFA and takmir teachers, religious teachers, shariah officers and Shariah Court Judges, at the Islamic Training Academy of Malaysia (ALIM) and Shariah Judiciary Academy of Malaysia.
- Providing Arabic Language Intensive Training Courses to assist Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM) holders to pass the Imtihan Qabul examination, which is the main requirement for higher education qualification in Arab countries.
- Increasing the intake of non-Bumiputera students into public universities.
-- BERNAMA
