BN offering free higher education for B40 children

PETALING JAYA: There will be free higher education for B40 (lower income group) children and a host of quality education for all levels at schools if Barisan Nasional is voted into power in GE15 as part of a long-term poverty eradication plan in its manifesto .

“We seek to modernise early childhood, primary, secondary and tertiary education towards holistic and fun learning by upholding excellence through quality, driven by the latest technology in line with the needs and challenges of our time,” Barisan said in its video announcing its plans launched last night.

The coalition is also promising full National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loan coverage for students from the M40 (middle income) group and below.

PTPTN will also be turned into an “income-contingent” loan, with repayment only starting a year into employment.

The alliance will “offer higher education vouchers funded by the government for intake into private higher education institutions as a measure to address the insufficient intake capacity of public higher education institutions”.

PTPTN will also be transformed into a foundation which will be funded through community endowments and donations.

Barisan also wants to reduce the cost of higher education by up to 50% through the implementation of a flexible higher education system which encompasses 50% campus learning and 50% online as well as distance learning.

At the school level, the manifesto promises textbook-free schools with the provision of laptops to all B40 students. It has also pledged to expand 5G Internet coverage and public Wi-Fi networks to cover all schools within 18 months.

Early childhood care and education for all children aged six and below will be provided for free.

This, said Barisan, will substantially reduce the cost of living for young families.

It also aims to introduce the teaching of 21st-century smart skills such as programming (coding), creativity and basic communication languages such as Mandarin, Tamil, Iban, Kadazan, Dusun and other ethnic languages in all schools.