Make primary schools conducive for learning, MoE told
KUCHING: Education, Science and Technological Research Minister Dato Sri Michael Manyin has called on the Ministry of Education ( MoE) in Putrajaya to place priority on providing an environment conducive for learning in primary schools.
He made this suggestion in view of the many dilapidated primary schools in Sarawak which are not suitable for learning and teaching.
He suggested that MoE look at developed countries such as Japan and Finland where primary schools are seen as an important stage in the formative years of school children.
He pointed out that in Finland, only teachers with Masters degree qualification are recruited to teach the children in primary schools while the teaching and classes leaned towards 21st- century skills.
“I hope the federal government will approve the loan contra account formula proposal as agreed before, instead of advance payment of RM1 billion to solve the dilapidated schools issue in Sarawak,” he said when officiating at the Primary School Mathematic Teachers Pedagogic Course at a hotel here on Wednesday.
The course is carried out simultaneously across the state – in Kuching (involving 120 teachers in the southern zone), Sibu ( 98 teachers in central zone) and Miri (84 teachers in northern zone).
A total of 40 trainers conducted the course which started on April 10 and ends today (April 12). The Sarawak Education Department is assisting in organising this course.
The course is among the steps taken by the Sarawak government through the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Research ( MESTR) to improve the pedagogy of teachers although education is a federal matter.
Participants selected for the course are non- option Mathematics teachers who are teaching the subject in their respective schools, and it is aimed at improving their pedagogy so that more pupils can master and score better grades in this subject.
Sarawak Education Department head of academic management sector Dr Les Met, on behalf of the department thanked MESTR and the Sarawak government for organising such programme to improve the learning system in the state.
He is confident that such course will boost Sarawak’s aim of achieving 95 per cent of students mastering Mathematics by 2021.
Also present were MESTR deputy permanent secretary Dr Abdul Rahman Deen.