FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
Johor, Terengganu, Kedah and Kelantan commence new term
MORE than 135,000 Year One pupils started school in Kelantan, Johor, Terengganu and Kedah yesterday. In Kelantan, a total of 28,145 Year One pupils started the first day of school at 418 primary schools.
State Education director Muhammad Zahari Othman said 13,376 pupils also registered for preschool, while 28,961 students entered Form One.
“The 29,626 primary and secondary schoolteachers in the state will continue to carry out their duties diligently despite facing constraints in disciplining students,” he said after welcoming 101 Year One pupils at SK Demit 2 here yesterday.
In Johor, 56,576 pupils entered Year One for the 2018 school session.
State Education director Shaharudin Sharif said of the total, 38,069 students registered at national schools, 16,222 at Chinese vernacular schools and 2,285 at Tamil vernacular schools.
He added that the pupils were placed in 2,022 classes.
“At the secondary level, 47,579 students are starting Form One this year, which involves 1,525 classes in 232 schools.”
In Terengganu, 20,631 Year One pupils started their new school session at 352 primary schools in the state.
State Education director Shafruddin Ali Hussin said they comprised 10,370 female and 10,261 male pupils.
“As for Form One, 19,759 students registered at 150 secondary schools this morning,” he said.
“Everything went smoothly on the first day of school though it rained in several areas last night.”
There are 489 preschool, 11,632 primary and 10,462 secondary schoolteachers in the state.
In Kedah, a total of 30,409 children entered Year One at 547 primary schools.
In Merbok, Year One pupils were given a boost with a visit from the state Education Committee chairman Datuk Tajul Urus Mat Zain.
He was accompanied by Merbok Umno division Youth chief Datuk Shaiful Hazizy Zainol Abidin, who is also state Umno Youth chief and political secretary to Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah.
Tajul, who is also Tanjung Dawai assemblyman, visited four schools in the constituency to check on the first day of the new school term.
Of the more than 30,000 Year One pupils registered with the state Education Department up to Sunday, the Kuala Muda/Yan district recorded the highest number with 8,361 pupils, followed by Kota Setar (5,799) and Kulim/Bandar Baru (5,080).
This is followed by Kubang Pasu (3,471), Baling/Sik (3,290), Langkawi (1,678), Pendang (1,626) and Padang Terap (1,104).