State Deputy Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly on Wednesday (Nov 13). - ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star
KUCHING: Sarawakian students are admitted into the state-owned Yayasan Sarawak International Secondary School (YSISS) based on merit, the Sarawak Legislative Assembly was told.
State Deputy Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee said all students who meet the admission criteria can enrol.
"They must get at least Band 5 in the Year Six school-based assessment to be eligible for the entrance assessment conducted by Yayasan Sarawak.
"If they pass the assessment, they can enrol.
"So there is no question of racial quota, it's based solely on merit," he said during question time in the state assembly on Wednesday (Nov 13).
Dr Annuar also said YSISS students will sit for the Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) in Year 11.
"If they do well, we will select two students to be sent to prestigious universities overseas because the IGCSE is accepted globally.
"This is the advantage of YSISS," he said.
However, he said students would also have the opportunity to sit for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) as an alternative if they choose not to go for further studies overseas.
The school was set up by the state government to provide globally-recognised education to Sarawakians, especially those from the B40 group.
Dr Annuar said there were currently 403 students in two Yayasan Sarawak schools, one at Petra Jaya here and the other at the 12th Mile Kuching-Serian Road, with more to be set up in Sibu, Bintulu and Miri.
He said 55.4% of the students were from B40 families, 32.3% from M40 and 12.3% from T20.
Earlier this month, Dr Annuar had said enrolment of students into five state-owned universities in Sarawak would be based on merit instead of a quota.
With meritocracy, he said, Sarawak would be able to "pick the best of the best" in its effort to become a developed state.
The five universities are Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Curtin University Malaysia, University of Technology Sarawak, i-CATS University College and Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak (Centexs).
