KGBS chief upbeat about effectiveness of programme

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KUCHING: The District Transformation Programme (DTP), an initiative under the National Education Blueprint 2013-2025 which began its implementation here this year, will yield positive results in closing the educational gap between rural and urban schools.

Expressing confidence in the effectiveness of the 12-year national education blueprint, Sarawak Bumiputera Teachers’ Union (KGBS) president Ahmad Malie said the Education Ministry has begun the initiative’s first wave of implementation by introducing the SIPartner+ (School Improvement Partner Plus) and SISC+ (School Improvement Specialist Coaches) in stages in all districts.

These programmes, as part of the DTP objective, are being implemented in each district education office to help schools and teachers boost the shift of the national education agenda.

“We have yet to see a significant result from the DTP initiative as it was only implemented in the state beginning this year.

“The effectiveness of the programme could yet be seen physically but rest assured that all District Education officers and teachers have been briefed on the initiative so that everybody will play their role effectively to improve the standard and quality of education.

“According to strategies and planning, if we implement this properly, I believe the District Transformation Programme will bring big impact on our education quality,” Ahmad told reporters when met at his Hari Raya open house here yesterday.

He was responding to a question whether the transformation programme would be successful in closing the education gap (quality and achievement) between rural and urban schools.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Education Minister, when launching the National Education Blueprint 2013-2025 (2013 Annual Report) on June 17 at Putrajaya this year said the DTP was an initiative that had shown the most significant success thus far.

The programme was pioneered in Sabah and Kedah to improve the academic performance of schools while closing the education gap between urban and rural schools.

Muhyiddin said under this objective, low performance schools will be aided with the SIPartner+ and SISC+, while schools in Band 3 to Band 5 would be guided to improve their performances.

“In 2013, the pilot project has shown significant results when the increase rate of results in the public examinations (UPSR, PMR and SPM) at both states was the best when compared to other states in Malaysia. In fact, last year was the best achievement recorded by both states in the past 10 years.

“The education gap between rural and urban schools in Sabah and Kedah seems to have gotten smaller and far better than the average scores throughout the country. “This success has given the strength and confidence to the ministry to expand the DTP to the whole country beginning 2014,” Muyiddin said in his speech at the event held at SMK Putrajaya Precint 11 (1).