LAHAD DATU: The large allocation given to the Ministry of Education showed that the government is concerned about providing the best education for the people to generate national development.
Deputy Education Minister Datuk Mary Yap Kain Ching said the large allocation provided by the government was very appropriate and timely as two ministries have been merged into one.
“The large allocation is needed as we are in the process of implementing the National Education Blueprint (PPPM).
“All of us in the Education Ministry are very happy and grateful to receive the allocation as education is an important factor in developing the country, as announced by our Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak,” she said.
According to Mary, she was also happy that the government was continuing their caring concept in the 2014 budget by assisting students with the special allowance and book voucher allocations.
Mary said that the allocation was also an indication that the government was working hard to improving the national education system.
In the 2014 budget tabled on Friday, the government had announced an allocation of RM54.6 billion for the Education Ministry, showing that it was committed to increase academic achievements.
Meanwhile, Mary when met after launching the Lahad Datu Vocational College (LDVC) Agriculture Expo, said LDVC had received a lot of applications from students as a result of efforts from the Technical and Vocational Education Division (BPTV) as well as LDVC in implementing a lot of programmes to attract students to study at the college.
In 2013, a total of 117,000 applications to study in the vocational college were received, however only 21,000 students could be accommodated. Nevertheless, this encouraging volume of applications also showed support from all walks of life to uplift the status of vocational education in Malaysia.
“The Education Ministry is aware about the lack of capacity to accommodate more students in vocational colleges and efforts to address this problem have been included in the Education Development Plan 2013-2025,” she said in a press conference.
Mary said the branding strategy recommended by the Ministry of Education to the BPTV was apparently effective at attracting more students into vocational fields. Branding strategy is the best measure to provide an understanding to the public on technical and vocational streams.
Therefore, she said the BPTV should focus on its branding strategy to make vocational colleges the main focus among parents and students.
According to Mary, studies in vocational college is a four-year semester and students will follow on-the-job training, production based education, school enterprise and strong co-curricular aspects before they are awarded with the Malaysian Vocational Diploma.
“This learning system could produce skilled labour groups with high employability skills.
“This is also an encouraging development and I hope more efforts will be geared so that more young people will be involved in the vocational field,” she added.