Every child to benefit

The Education Ministry plans on making full use of its budget allocation to ensure students across Malaysia have access to quality education. — Lim Beng Tatt/The Star.

THE country’s education sector has, for at least two decades, received the largest chunk of the national budget. In 2024, this trend continues, with RM58.7bil allocated to the Education Ministry and RM16.3bil to the Higher Education Ministry, totalling RM75bil, which is a whopping 19% of next year’s spending.

When tabling next year’s budget, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the allocation to the Education Ministry was more than the RM55.2bil allocated in Budget 2023.

The bulk of Budget 2024’s RM58.7bil allocation to the ministry will go towards the building of new schools.

Anwar said RM2.5bil will see 26 new schools being constructed. These include SMK Laya-laya, Sabah, SMK Baie, Sarawak, SMK Seri Melati, Pahang, SMK Bandar Universiti, Perak, and SMK Binjai, Kelantan.

A total of RM930mil will be used for the upgrading of buildings and infrastructure in 450 schools, including 185 projects in Sarawak and 155 projects in Sabah.

And RM210mil will be channelled towards providing buildings, infrastructure and specialised equipment for special needs (OKU) students.

This includes 18 new blocks specifically for special needs students in schools which include SMK Kubang Rotan, Kedah, SK Bandar Baru Perda, Penang, and SMK Dato’ Ali Ahmad, Perlis.

“The government will continue to empower and protect the well-being of students with special needs,” said Anwar.

An RM100mil allocation, he anounced, will also be given to maintain and upgrade school computer labs and acquire new equipment for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning.

“Industry representatives will be involved as instructors and provide equipment to increase the interest of students in learning STEM.

“The government will also establish a cross-ministerial Special STEM Committee to set targets and measures to strengthen secondary school students’ interest and participation in the field,” he said, adding that this is to stem the decline in interest in the sciences among students.

The Education Ministry recorded a decrease in the participation of upper secondary students in the STEM stream from 45.2% in 2017 to 40.94% in 2022, he said.

Beginning next year, the government has agreed to expand the parents’ income criteria for applications for the Federal Small Scholarship (BKP) according to the poverty line income rate (PGK) of RM2,589 compared to the previous RM1,500.

This, said Anwar, will benefit an additional 35,000 children from underprivileged families.

He also said the Poor Student Trust Fund (KWAPM) will be extended to students up to Form Three, compared to Form One in the past.

Overall, one million students will benefit from an allocation of RM150mil to keep them from dropping out of school, he added.

“Malaysia recorded the highest number of school closures compared to regional countries during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“As a result, there are a number of students who dropped out and need extra guidance,” he said.

For this, Anwar said RM100mil will be provided to implement a holistic approach involving all parties to help affected students.

He also said the Education Ministry will be embarking on the National Future of Education Tour (Jelajah Masa Depan Pendidikan Negara) to gain insights and feedback from parents, educators and the industry for the National Education Development Plan that is currently being drafted.

For details on Budget 2024, log on to https://belanjawan.mof.gov.my/ms/