MARANG: The Malaysian Prisons Department's Adult Literacy and Numeracy (LINUS) programme is expected to be expanded to 44 prisons nationwide within the next three years to provide inmates lacking basic reading, writing and numeracy skills with access to education.
Prisons Department corrective division director Nora Musa said six institutions currently served as Centres of Excellence (COEs), namely Marang Prison, Sungai Petani Prison in Kedah, Jelebu Correctional Centre in Negri Sembilan, Simpang Renggam Prison in Johor, Bintulu Correctional Centre in Sarawak and Lahad Datu Prison in Sabah.
She said 371 of the 515 participants enrolled since the programme's pilot phase in 2022 had completed the six-month course, which is conducted in collaboration with the Education Ministry.
The third cohort, which began last August, currently has 211 participants undergoing 360 hours of learning at the six COEs.
Nora said the department was upgrading facilities and teaching aids, as well as training prison officers to serve as instructors, ahead of the programme's expansion to other institutions.
Between 2022 and 2026, a total of 57,994 inmates underwent screening, of whom 3,508 were found to lack basic literacy and numeracy skills.
"Inmates identified as lacking these skills will undergo diagnostic assessments at their respective institutions before being sent to zonal COEs for formal learning.
"Those who have mastered the basic skills will return to their respective prisons, while those requiring further guidance will be given the opportunity to repeat the programme," she told reporters after the Malaysian Prisons Department LINUS programme appreciation ceremony at Marang Prison Thursday (Nov 5).
Also present was Education Ministry deputy director-general (schools operations sector) Datuk Zainal Abas.
Meanwhile, Zainal said the ministry continued to support prison education programmes, particularly those aimed at helping inmates obtain the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) qualification.
He said 59 candidates from four Henry Gurney Schools and seven Integrated Schools nationwide would sit for the SPM examination this year, adding that the Prisons Department's candidates had achieved a 100 per cent SPM certificate eligibility rate for three consecutive years. - Bernama
