3 K9 schools handling student dropout in Sabah, S’wak’s interior

KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Education has provided three schools under the Comprehensive Special Model School Year 9 ( K9) as of April 3 to deal with student dropouts in the interior of Sabah and Sarawak during the transition from Year Six to Form One.

Its deputy minister Datuk Chong Sin Woon said two of the schools are in Sabah, namely SK Pekan Pensiangan, Nabawan and SK Bawang, Beluran, while the third one is SK Long Bedian in Marudi, Sarawak.

“The ministry has taken several measures to raise the participation rate of students and reduce dropout rate in schools.

“Among these are improving amenities, increasing motivation programmes, raising awareness of parents and implementing assistance programmes,” he told the Dewan Negara sitting yesterday.

Chong said the aid programmes provided included the minor federal scholarship, supplementary food programme, tuition voucher scheme, 1Malaysia special school aid ( BKAP1M) and poor students’ trust fund (KWAPM).

He was replying to Senator Datuk Dr Johari Mat, who asked the ministry to state the government’s efforts to reduce the number of rural dropouts, especially among the indigenous people of Sabah and Sarawak.

The ministry would also implement the transformation roadmap for Sabah and Sarawak Bumiputera students with a focus on secondary students in rural and remote areas of these two states.