Education Priority : Musa

New Sabah Times 24th July, 2007

KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman says enhancing the prestige of the teaching profession is one of the government’s main agenda.

“In this respect the government’s focus is on improving teachers’ working conditions and raising teachers’ pride in their profession while reviving society’s respect for teachers,” he said when closing the 13th national convention of principals and 25th delegates conference of the national council of principals (GMGBM) at Hotel Promenade here yesterday.

His speech was read by Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun, who is also state minister in charge of education.

Musa, who is also Finance Minister, said providing more infrastructure to schools in the rural areas is also part of the Sabah government’s strategy in the development of education.
“The state government wants to ensure that students in the rural and interior areas have an even chance to obtain education to the highest level,” he said.

He said the government is aware of the need to raise access to education for the over five million students in 10,000 schools nationwide.

In its commitment to provide better education for the people, it has allocated a huge sum for education in the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) as part of efforts to make the country a regional education hub, he added.

The government’s focus is on strengthening national schools as the first choice for students, enhancing the curriculum to meet national needs, and narrowing the gap between rural and urban schools.

He also expressed optimism that the increase in the educational development ceiling for the state, from RM3.2 billion to RM3.4 billion in the 9MP, would enable it to implement all its educational development programmes, especially in upgrading educational support facilities in rural schools.

“We will try our best to fully utilise the allocation, to ensure the goal of enhancing education in the country is realised,” he said.