TRIANG: The Education Ministry plans to expand the Comprehensive Special Model School 11 (K11) by at least five to seven more schools next year.
Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said the move is crucial to ensure better access to education for students in rural areas.
“In urban areas, going to school is usually not an issue, but in rural areas, the journey can sometimes take one to one and a half hours,” he told reporters after visiting SK Felda Sungai Kemahal for the handover ceremony of the Sekolah Angkat Madani (SAM) initiative here on Thursday (April 16).
He emphasised that K11 schools are not newly built schools.
“Rather, they are existing schools - either primary or secondary - that are expanded to accommodate both primary and secondary levels within the same institution,” he said.
Wong explained that prior to 2023, the ministry introduced the K9 initiative, where students studied under one roof from Year 1 to Form 3.
“In 2023, we expanded this initiative to K11 schools, which also go up to Form 5. Essentially, we upgraded and expanded from K9 to K11, identifying suitable schools so that our children—especially Orang Asli students and those living in rural areas—can remain in the same school from Year 1 to Form 5,” he added.
He also said that the selection of schools is determined by the respective State Education Departments, as they best understand local needs.
Currently, there are 26 K9 schools and nine K11 schools nationwide.
The SAM initiative handover ceremony involved two beneficiary schools in Pahang - SK Felda Sungai Kemahal and SMK Felda Kampung Sertik.
Implemented under Genting Bersama Malaysia—Genting Malaysia’s corporate social responsibility umbrella—the support provided enables both schools to enhance their teaching and learning facilities.
Also present at the event were Bentong Member of Parliament Young Syefura Othman, Pahang JPN director Ahmad Zamri Md Isa, Bentong District education officer Hanifah Veerankutty and Resorts World Genting Sales, Marketing and Public Relations executive vice president Spencer Lee.
