TRIANG: The Education Ministry is targeting to expand the Sekolah Angkat Madani (SAM) initiative to 1,500 schools this year, says Wong Kah Woh.
The Deputy Education Minister said they had completed 921 projects nationwide last year.
Of the total projects, 542 involved primary schools, 368 secondary schools and 11 educational institutions outside the ministry’s purview.
“Another 1,500 schools will benefit under the SAM initiative this year.
“The selection of schools is now at its final stage and implementation will be carried out in phases,” he told reporters after visiting SK Felda Sungai Kemahal for the handover ceremony of the SAM initiative yesterday.
Wong said the ministry also plans to expand the Comprehensive Special Model School 11 (K11) by at least five to seven more schools next year.
He 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 said.
Prior to 2023, he said the ministry introduced the K9 initiative where students studied under one roof from Year 1 to Form 3.
“In 2023, we expanded the 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 the students – especially Orang Asli and those living in rural areas – can remain in the same school from Year 1 to Form 5,” he said.
Currently, there are 26 K9 schools and nine K11 schools nationwide.
Besides SK Felda Sungai Kemahal, the other beneficiary school under the SAM initiative in Pahang is 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 MP Young Syefura Othman, Pahang Education 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.
