DUNGUN: The government targets to restructure at least 68 secondary technical schools nationwide into secondary vocational schools by 2012 in an effort to negate the ‘second-class’ perception of the latter, Deputy Education Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkarshi said yesterday.“As such, we have to enhance the standard of vocational education in the country. We do not want to see vocational education looked upon as second-class education,” he told reporters after the presentation of awards to students for excellent academic achievement, in the Dungun parliamentary constituency, here.
Mohd Puad said vocational schools were established to enable students disinterested in academic qualification to acquire skills, and added that the ministry was considering getting vocational schools to offer flight training as well.
On Dec 1 last year, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Education Minister, said the government would build more secondary vocational schools in the country.
He had said these schools could help fulfil the pressing need for skilled manpower to drive the nation’s economic growth. — Bernama