Shaping Johor’s education system
FOR more than 100 years, the Johor royal household has played a pivotal role in shaping the state into what it is today and cultivating the minds of its rakyat through education.
The state’s education system can be traced back to 135 years ago when Johor was under the reign of Almarhum Sultan Sir Abu Bakar Ibni Almarhum Tun Temenggung Raja Daing Ibrahim, who is known in history as the father of modern Johor.
In 1883, Sultan Abu Bakar formed the Johor Education Department, headed by Datuk Muhammad Munsyi Ibrahim. The department managed five schools. The number of schools then jumped to 66 boys’ schools and five girls’ schools by 1919.
Johor’s second Ruler, Almarhum Sultan Sir Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar, was concerned about the future of education in the state and made a decision that would forever change its education landscape.
Sultan Sir Ibrahim had decreed that education be mandatory as per the Compulsory Education Enactment 1902.
Islamic studies were also enhanced with the establishment of religious schools and mosques throughout the state.
As Johor moves forward through economic development, the education sector is also going through changes to keep up with the needs of the 21st century and beyond.
State Health, Environment, Education and Information Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said there were currently 1,182 primary and secondary schools in Johor.
He added that the state government had always been practical in making sure that the schools here remained relevant at all times to nurture the minds of children.
“Even though education is under the management of the Education Ministry, the Johor government has always taken proactive steps in ensuring quality education.
“We are taking necessary action by introducing 21st century learning that incorporates technology usage in classrooms so as to take advantage of the digital era,” he said.
Ayub added that under the programme, teachers were undergoing training to use computers and other digital formats to teach students.
He also stressed that the state government hoped to see more students excel in their studies, especially through science, technology and mathematics (STEM-J).
Ayub added the state government had allocated RM1.45mil for STEM-J, 21st century learning, the Student Leaders Board Convention, the Iskandar Malaysia Ecolife Challenge, the Johor Students Character and the English mastering programme.
“As we want to see more students achieve great heights in their studies, the state government has also set up e-tuition, where the registration fee is as low as RM10 and students can learn various subjects through laptops or devices from the comfort of home,” he said.
He also said the state government introduced the Dato Onn Scholarship in 1984, which had benefited 46,381 students as of 2017 with a total expenditure of RM21.4mil.
Ayub added that Kolej Yayasan Pelajaran Johor (YPJ) was a higher learning institution run by the state government and there were plans to turn it into a premier college offering professional degrees and diplomas by next year.
He said YPJ also provided various scholarships and interest-free study loans for Johor-born students.
Ayub said the state government had introduced the Jauhar Kids fund, under which it would open up an education savings fund for children born in Johor, with an allocation of RM500,000.
Each baby, he said, would receive RM50 to kick-start their savings account as the state government did not want the future generation to be burdened with study loans once they completed their education.
There is also a strong presence of public universities in the state such as Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi Mara.
Ayub added that besides local universities, Johor had attracted top-notch universities and private colleges from around the world to open campuses at EduCity in Iskandar Puteri.
He said the government was also looking at enhancing technical education and vocational training (TVET), with a total of RM5mil being allocated towards the Johor Skills Training Fund.
“Through the Johor Skills Agenda introduced in 2016, the state government developed Skills Johor with an allocation of RM100,000 to become the training centre in the TVET field. It can accommodate up to 20,000 trainees,” he said.
Ayub said all the measures taken by the state government were aimed at ensuring a bright future for the next generation.
“Education plays an important role in achieving our aspiration to make Johor the new economic powerhouse not only in Malaysia, but in the region,” he added.