By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Sept 12: A total of 259 out of 388 dilapidated school projects in Sarawak have been completed, with the entire programme worth RM3.8 billion progressing according to schedule.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said this is a continuous commitment of the Madani government to ensure all dilapidated school projects in Sarawak are completed.
“InsyaAllah, everything is on track, and no child will be left behind in terms of having safe and conducive learning infrastructure,” she told reporters during her visit to SMK Santubong here today. An audio recording of the doorstep interview was later shared to DayakDaily.
Fadhlina, who is in Sarawak in conjunction with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) Implementation Action Council meeting, also congratulated Santubong MP Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri for her support and contributions to the school, as well as teachers and students for their recent achievements, including a victory in a national-level “Rukun Negara” speech competition.
Touching on the rising issue of bullying in schools, Fadhlina disclosed that the Ministry of Education (MoE) is working closely with other ministries to adopt a holistic approach, including the introduction of an anti-bullying tribunal bill.
“Yesterday, we held a town hall to gather feedback from stakeholders on the tribunal bill. At the same time, MoE has initiated measures such as a comprehensive audit of school hostels to review safety and functionality.
“We are also looking into strengthening school regulations, disciplinary guidelines and child protection policies, as well as installing CCTV, and ensuring teachers spend more instructional time with students as part of preventive efforts,” she explained.
Fadhlina added that intervention should not only be punitive but also rehabilitative, focusing on moral, character and integrity development of students.
On Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recent call for greater efforts to strengthen English proficiency, Fadhlina reiterated that the ministry is committed to balancing mastery of both Malay and English.
“Empowering Malay remains a major national commitment, while English will be reinforced through teacher training, pedagogical improvements, enrichment activities and programmes to cultivate usage and fluency.
“This will also prepare our students for international assessments and future skills,” she said. – DayakDaily
