BINTULU: Sarawak is leveraging its autonomy under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) to roll out education policies that support the state’s long-term development, including free Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) tertiary education, English-medium Science and Mathematics and international schools.
Deputy Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee said the initiatives reflected the state’s commitment to developing a highly skilled and competitive workforce aligned with future economic needs.
“One of the most historic initiatives introduced by the Sarawak government is the provision of free tertiary education for all Sarawakian students, particularly in STEM fields such as science and engineering, at four local universities.”
Dr Annuar said this when officiating the opening of the SMK Asyakirin School Library and STEM Corner here on Wednesday (Aug 5).
He added that the state is also the only one in Malaysia to implement the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English across all schools while six Sarawak international schools are being developed to expand access to world-class education.
“Personally, I believe education policies should be implemented in a more decentralised manner rather than through an overly centralised system.”
Dr Annuar noted that a decentralised approach would enable Sarawak to formulate education policies that are more flexible and responsive to the state’s development needs in line with its aspiration of producing a highly skilled and competitive generation.
