BANGSA JOHOR PIONEER SCHOOLS WILL INVOLVE 2,382 STUDENTS NEXT YEAR

ISKANDAR PUTERI, Nov 26 (Bernama) -- A total of 2,382 students from four schools will be involved in the implementation of the Bangsa Johor pioneer school programme starting from next year’s schooling session.

Johor Education and Information Committee chairman Aznan Tamin said the initiative involving the four schools - Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Seri Kota Puteri 2 and Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Seri Kota Puteri 4 in Pasir Gudang; SMK Tasek Utara and SK Tasek Utara in Johor Bahru - would not be in contradiction with the education syllabus and national education policy set by the Education Ministry (MOE) but will retain the existing syllabus with improvements.

“The pioneer schools will retain MOE syllabus, only that subjects like English, Mathematics and Science will be value added. We have presented this effort to the MOE and received their support.

“If this works, it’s not impossible that it will be used in upcoming MOE syllabus,” he said at a media conference outside the Johor state legislative assembly in Kota Iskandar here today, adding that they had sent 40 English language teachers from the four schools to undergo English courses at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

Aznan said four aspects will be focused on, to strengthen the English language and to uphold the Malay Language, to boost Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, to improve assessment of three subjects, English, Mathematics and Science as well as evaluating the results of Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) graduates.

“This are among the initiatives taken to improve the quality of education in Johor and we begin with pioneer schools, if it works it will be expanded to other schools,” he said, adding that RM6.22 million has been allocated for its three-year implementation. 

On July 27, Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi expressed the intention to implement the initiative in line with the wishes of Johor Regent, Tunku Mahkota Ismail, who stressed on the importance of quality education.

-- BERNAMA