Pupils greet Uggah (right) upon his arrival at SRK St John.
KUCHING (June 9): Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas has urged rural longhouses in the state to set up mini libraries in their premises, which would serve as an important component in education.
He said these mini libraries could help inculcate the reading habit among students, even from pre-schooling age, adding that this would go a long way in helping students to always love studying to tertiary education and beyond.
He said the libraries should be well stocked with books and magazines in both English and Bahasa Malaysia, and students could spend time there during their school breaks to acquire more knowledge and skills.
“In Sarawak, we still place strong emphasis on the learning of English. In fact, Sarawak is the only state doing this as English is a very important international language in communication, education, business, science, technology, and so forth.
“Although Bahasa Malaysia is our official language, we want our students to be proficient in English. In our State Legislative Assembly sitting, we use both English and the Bahasa Malaysia to speak and debate,” he said.
He was speaking during the launching of an English language proficiency course for pupils of SRK St John at Rh Jabin Begilie, Tembawai Tinting in Spaoh today.
Uggah said he was glad to note that the national education system had also placed great importance on the teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.
“English is essentially used in teaching,” he added.
At the event, Uggah pledged a RM10,000 grant to acquire more reading materials for SRK St John as well as another RM100,000 to improve the school’s sports field.