Teo Nie Ching
KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry will review the previous government’s decision to change the status of nine out of the 27 Teachers’ Training Institutes (IPG) to polytechnics and vocational colleges.
Its deputy minister Teo Nie Ching said his ministry would take into account the views of all parties before making a decision.
“At present, we have 27 IPGs with a capacity of 31,000 students but current enrolment is only 13,000 students or 42 per cent of the capacity.
“The previous government through a Cabinet meeting on May 24, 2017 made the decision to convert the function of the IPG to the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and we will review it,” he told the Dewan Negara sitting today.
He was replying to a question from Senator Alan Ling Sie Kiong, who wanted to know whether the government would pursue the decision to change the status of Rajang IPG and Miri IPG in Sarawak.
However, Teo said the change of IPG status to polytechnics and Vocational Colleges did not mean the IPG was being downgraded but only its function is changed.
The function of TVET was also crucial as it provided vocational education to the youth, he added. – Bernama