PETALING JAYA: Parents can now access a centralised portal to check school vacancies, capacity and other information to help them choose suitable schools for their children, says Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek.
She said the Sekolahku portal, developed through a collaboration between the Education Ministry and Digital Ministry, addressed a longstanding problem faced by parents seeking information on school availability and overcrowding.
“Previously, parents had to approach the Education Ministry to find out which schools had vacancies or were already full.
“The portal would make the information readily available, easing the process for parents.
"This is a very significant problem in society that we are addressing, which is school information," she said at the launch of the portal at SK Damansara Utama on Tuesday (Nov 3).
Fadhlina said the platform also provided information on schools' programmes, including those offering the Dual Language Programme, allowing parents to consider the options available based on their children's needs.
She also said that the portal could also benefit students, particularly those preparing to enter Form One, by allowing them to identify schools near their homes, explore boarding school options and find out how to get to their preferred schools.
“Students could also use the platform to explore whether they could enrol in their dream schools,” she said.
Meanwhile, Fadhlina said the Education Ministry was working with the Digital Ministry to strengthen the country's digital education ecosystem while ensuring students could use technology safely.
She said five schools were currently involved in a collaboration with Huawei to develop a safe digital ecosystem, while nine technical schools had also been brought into the initiative.
She added that digital skills would be further strengthened through the new curriculum to be introduced for Year One and Form One pupils next year.
“It will provide exposure to "digital skills," but with one crucial caveat: you must always maintain proper ethics while navigating and using the digital world,” she said.
Separately, Fadhlina also announced an allocation of RM50,000 for the school where the event was held, urging the school to use the funds to improve its facilities and provide a more comfortable environment for pupils.
“We have prepared a link, which you can find on the Education Ministry's website, for parent-teacher associations (PTAs) to submit their applications for school maintenance,” she said.
