KUCHING: Critical and innovative minds should get more emphasis in the education system in order to produce visionary students come year 2020.
Md Yahaya (left) shakes hands with one of the recipients witnessed by Abdillah (centre).
State Education director Datu Abdillah Adam said that many efforts and steps were being undertaken by the government to ensure each student, whether in primary or secondary school or even in the higher institutions of learning, received high quality education.
“The government has not closed its eyes especially towards the roaming infrastructure and facilities associated with education.
“The Malaysia Education Development Plan aims to create the best return of human capital to spearhead the nation’s development wishes,” he said in his speech during the ‘Excellence Service Award 2013 for the Sarawak Education Department’ held at its premises yesterday.
He added that this was proven with the variety of educational aid including ‘Bantuan Khas Awal Persekolahan 1Malaysia’, ‘Bantuan Makan Asrama’, ‘Kumpulan Wang Amanah Pelajar Miskin’, ‘Rancangan Makanan Tambahan’, ‘Skim Pinjaman Buku Teks’, ‘Program Susu 1Malaysia’, ‘Biasiswa Kecil Persekutuan’, ‘Biasiswa Kecil Persekutuan Pra-U’ as well as the 1Malaysia Book Vouchers.
“The initiative undertaken by the government and those in the education field play an important role in ensuring a viable development for the nation. Thus, educators should be ready to transform the national education system so it will benefit students and the community, in general,” he said.
Abdillah also added that the 1BestariNet system introduced by the government was capable of changing Internet and technology based learning as well as close the digital gap between rural and urban students.
“All schools would be connected via one learning platform which uses 4G Internet speed and users are given access to register in education applications,” he quipped.
Meanwhile, State Federal Secretary Datuk Md Yahaya Basimin said that educators should feel proud because they were different from other civil servants due to ‘New Deal’, or Bai’ah.
“Even though educators are civil servants as well, what sets them apart from other civil servants is the Bai’ah, which is excellent achievements formed in a school which would be rewarded monetarily,” he said, adding that this would give educators a new zest to work harder in ensuring their students success.
The ceremony saw as many as 65 recipients among State Education Department personnel, district education officers, headmasters and teachers receiving the prestigious award.
Recipients also received an incentive of RM1,000 for their commitment and career advancement shown throughout the year.