Re-establish English-medium government schools in Sabah, says Rahman

KOTA BELUD: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan has proposed that English-medium government schools in Sabah be re-esta­blished in an effort to improve the language proficiency of students in the state.

He said the move was seen as a proactive measure to produce more human capital, having mastered the universal language from an early age.

“Mastery of English is one way to be more productive and competitive.

“By mastering the language, Sa­­bah will be able to ‘speed up’ the pursuit of reducing the development gap between Sabah and states in the peninsula.

“For that reason, I propose that the Federal Government allow the re-establishment of English-me­dium government schools, so that we can give an advantage to the children to compete in the job market and boost domestic ability,” he said.

Abdul Rahman, who is Kota Belud MP, said this after the launch of the Highly Immersive Programme at Sekolah Kebangsaan Tempasuk 1 here yesterday.

For a start, he proposed that the Education Ministry start a pilot project in some primary and secondary schools in urban areas, including Sabah College.

This is to enable the ministry to look at the effectiveness and acceptance of the Sabah people towards the project before its implementation is extended to semi-urban and rural areas. — Bernama