By Karen Bong
BELAGA, Oct 17: Setting up state-owned private international schools in the state is to nurture Sarawakian children to become ‘jaguh dunia’ (world champion) and not mere ‘jaguh kampung’ (village champion).
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg emphasised this at the earth-breaking ceremony to kick start the construction of a mosque and a waterfront in this small town today.
“We want to build (state-owned private) international schools where outstanding rural children will have the opportunity to receive quality international education.
“If they excel, they can go further to international universities so we (Sarawak) can produce quality human capital with international competitiveness.
“We don’t want our children to be ‘jaguh kampung’, we want them to be ‘jaguh dunia’,” he pointed out.
The Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government, he continued, will bear the tuition fees for these children so that they can reach their potential and go into world acclaimed prestigious universities like Harvard, Stanford, Cambridge, among others.
“So they (Sarawakian children) can contribute back to build our state,” he added.
Meanwhile, plans for the building of the first of five state-owned private international secondary schools will commence in June 2021 following an earth-breaking ceremony of the Yayasan Sarawak Private International Secondary school on Sept 22.
The first school sited on a 29-acre land at Mile 12, Jalan Kuching-Serian here is expected to be completed in ten months by the end of 2022 with first enrolment scheduled for early 2023.
The government also planned to begin construction of the schools in Sibu and Bintulu by early 2022 and the school in Miri and the second school in Kuching by mid-2022.
By the end of the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) in 2025, it was hoped that all the five schools will be in operation.
The schools will adopt the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) offered by the Cambridge Assessment International Education Board.
In addition to IGCSE, students will also be prepared to take Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations as private candidates to ensure students have the option to enter both international universities as well as local universities.
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing, Assistant Minister of Utilities (Rural Electricity) Datuk Liwan Lagang, Assistant Minister of Utilities (Water Supply) Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi, Murum assemblyman Kennedy Chukpai Ugon, Hulu Rajang MP Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong and PBB executive secretary Datuk Awang Bujang Awang Antek were among those present. —DayakDaily
