PUTRAJAYA, Dec 15 — The Ministry of Education will focus on seven main thrusts by ensuring the various initiatives provided will be retained and improved as needed.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said one of seven thrusts was to pay attention to the multidimensional poverty issues of children from B40 families, including in terms of malnutrition, devices and learning space.
“I will also work closely with the relevant agencies to address the issue of family poverty, which has a direct impact on the children’s education,” she told a special media conference at the ministry here today.
Also present was Deputy Education Minister Lim Hui Ying, the ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Yusran Shah Mohd Yusof and director-general of Education Datuk Pkharuddin Ghazali.
Fadhlina said the MOE would also pay attention to the issue of dropouts (lost generation) as well as literacy and numeracy problems so that the education gap that exists can be bridged besides focusing on the welfare of teachers.
As such, she will ensure teachers are given the necessary professional support and focus on the issues faced by them, such as heavy workloads and the stress of staying apart from their spouses.
Apart from that, she said the MOE will also increase the digital education capability in schools, with the ministry holding engagement sessions with the central agency.
Making communications between the ministry and schools more efficient and transparent; giving emphasis to the aspect of human dignity (karamah insaniah) through the formation of manners, morals and integrity; and focusing on efforts to renovate and upgrade dilapidated schools, especially in Sabah and Sarawak, are also among the seven main thrusts of the MOE.
The Nibong Tebal Member of Parliament also announced that the MOE will continue implementing existing policies and improve the delivery process to ensure its efficiency and effectiveness as it continues to review and analyse carefully every matter that needs to be decided.
She also admitted that managing public expectations was a challenge the ministry would have to shoulder to ensure a fair meeting point becomes a reality by the unity government.
