Apprentice scheme to be expanded
> Another 300 schools nationwide will benefit next year, says Mahdzir
JOHOR BARU: Apprenticeship programme for upper secondary students will be expanded to another 300 secondary schools in the nation next year, Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said.
“Students who completed the two-year programme will be awarded the skill certificate (level one),” he said when officiating at the Johor Baru district Education Department building yesterday.
“This programme is especially for students who like to work with their hands.”
The pilot programme, which started in July, involved 25 students from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bukit Rahman Putra, Sungai Buloh in Selangor.
On the decline of both written and spoken English among the youths as claimed by Permaisuri Johor Raja Zarith Sofiah Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah in a statement on Saturday, Mahdzir said he agreed with her views.
Raja Zarith Sofiah also urged English teachers, nongovernmental organisations and corporate sectors to work together and take proactive action.
Mahdzir said the Education Department has the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) to assess the proficiency of English teachers.
“However, teachers need time to achieve the standard of speaking English like a native speaker,” he said.
In another development, Mahdzir welcomed the move by the Johor police to set up a special post in schools in an effort to address social problems among students.