By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, March 17: Several states in Malaysia are turning to the Sarawak Education Department for guidance on reducing student dropout rates, as Sarawak boasts the lowest rate in the country.
Sarawak’s Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, revealed that the State’s success in managing student retention has gained national attention, prompting other states to seek advice.
“We have been looked up to as the state with the lowest ‘keciciran’ (dropout) rate among youth in schools.
“Although we were not informed which states requested our expertise, our Education Department has been engaged to share its experience,” he said after chairing the Sarawak Youth Development Committee meeting at Waterfront Hotel here today.
Abdul Karim attributed this success to effective collaboration between various agencies, including the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and the Department of Education.
He also highlighted that Sarawak’s definition of ‘keciciran’ extends beyond traditional dropouts.
It includes students who are still registered in school records but have transitioned to college or technical institutions without notifying their schools.
“We’ve even suggested redefining ‘keciciran’ to better reflect the situation in Sarawak.
“However, even with the current definition, our dropout rate remains the lowest in Malaysia,” he said.
Abdul Karim added that post-Covid-19, there has been a shift in youth outlook, with many moving away from their original jobs or educational paths. This has further emphasised the need for a new survey to assess youth well-being. — DayakDaily
