KUCHING: It is vital for all school heads and teachers to understand the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025, said Deputy Education Minister Datuk Mary Yap.
Yap interacting with SK Combined Kuching pupils.
She said the blueprint contained 11 elements to transform the national education system to match those in developed countries.
“The education ministry is no longer just focusing on student academics. We hope to raise educated individuals who are balanced emotionally and socially, and have good values.
“Students are our future leaders, which is why we must train them from young using a more holistic approach. The Education Blueprint focuses on holistic education,” she said during her working visit to SK Combined Kuching yesterday.
Yap said there were six key attributes that make students globally competitive, and she was glad some schools do cultivate these attributes in their students.
“The holistic education approach can be seen at SK Combined Kuching, and I am impressed. The six key attributes of knowledge, thinking skills, leadership, bilingual proficiency, ethics, and national identity are well articulated in this school.
“I can see the students are well groomed,” she said, adding that she visited the school yesterday to see how much it had progressed since her last visit in 2010.
SK Combined Kuching, which has 402 students and 44 teachers, is one of five schools in Sarawak that have been selected as a trust school (Sekolah Amanah) under the Yayasan Amir Trust Schools Programme, which is an initiative under the education transformation agenda.
Yap urged the school to educate their teachers about the 11 shifts in the Education Blueprint.
“The 11 shifts should be put on notice boards. All programmes organised by the school need to be related to the Education Blueprint by identifying activities that are specific to each shift. In order to execute the Education Blueprint effectively, the teachers must read and understand it.
“I also hope the school will let me know of its UPSR results and co-curriculum activities that may have won the school prizes or awards.”
Yap said there would be more trust schools in the country because of the proven holistic approach to education.
“The ministry would like all schools to use the concept of trust school.”
On another matter, Yap said all applications for additional Chinese schools would need to go through proper procedures.
“The ministry has to conduct surveys, needs analysis, and many other factors before we can approve any application.”
Showing Yap around the school was headmistress Saftuyah Adeng. Present was state Education director Serina Sauni.
Yap also visited SJK Chung Hua No. 6 yesterday.