(From right) Manyin rings the bell to mark the start of Sarawak Headmasters Conference 2017, as Sudarsono (second right) and other guests look on.
MIRI: Headmasters are not only teachers, but they are also managers and leaders.
They are responsible for the management and general administration of their schools and are instrumental in their performances, says Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research Dato Sri Michael Manyin.
“Realising the importance of the headmaster, the state government is working with Department of Education to organise this conference, (aiming) to provide a platform for all the headmasters to discuss and exchange views as well as to expose them to the new approaches of the 21st learning methods,” Manyin told The Borneo Post when met after officiating at the opening of Sarawak Headmasters Conference 2017 in Pullman Miri Waterfront yesterday.
The event was the first of three conferences, aimed at gathering all the headmasters here and providing them with relevant training and motivation.
The next two conferences would be held in Sibu (Central Region) and Kuching (Southern Region), disclosed Manyin.
“There is no doubt that a headmaster’s leadership quality can make a huge difference in determining the success or failure of a school. It is my hope that all headmasters would help the state government, and the state Education Department in facilitating in all the programmes implemented in schools,” he added.
Manyin emphasised that development programmes such as the promotion of English language and the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education would not succeed without the support from teachers, especially the headmasters.
“In addition, the proposed physical development to address the issues of dilapidated schools and the merging of low-enrolment schools also requires full cooperation from the headmasters. It is my hope to see all these programmes to be implemented successfully,” added the minister.
Manyin pointed out that since the setting up of his ministry earlier this year, he and the officers from Education Department had sat down together to look at performances of schools across the state and managed to figure out the factors, encouraging and non-encouraging, that influenced their performance.
“That was also when we came up with the number of dilapidated schools and schools with low enrolments to plan on things that should be done. We also presented the cases to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education in Sibu, together with the Education Department officers. At that opportunity, the director of Education Sarawak showed photographs of these schools and we managed to convince the deputy prime minister, who then asked us how much would be required to overcome all these shortcomings,” said Manyin.
“As a result of that, RM1 billion had been allocated for us and that amount had been passed in the Budget. I am really thankful to the federal government for giving us RM1 billion for next year and the year after that,” he said, adding that the RM1 billion would be used to repair the dilapidated schools.
Also present was Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Research permanent secretary Datu Sudarsono Osman.