KUCHING: The Sarawak Government has announced an allocation of RM60,000 to the Sarawak Teachers’ Union (STU) in conjunction with its 60th anniversary celebration, as a gesture of support and recognition for the union’s contributions.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the allocation was in recognition of the union’s contributions to the teaching profession over the past six decades.
“Tonight, I announce RM60,000 for STU to use as you see fit, but of course, it must benefit the members,” he said in his speech during STU’s Diamond Jubilee Dinner held at a hotel here on Sunday night.
At the same time, Abang Johari congratulated STU for introducing an insurance policy that he believed would benefit its members.
On civil service benefits, he pointed out that while allowances and education matters fall under the jurisdiction of the federal government, the state government has extended assistance whenever possible.
“For example, we take into account both state and federal civil servants, such as those in the police, military, health and education sectors, when we give bonuses,” he said.
As for education, Abang Johari assured that the Sarawak Government would continue to support its teaching and learning ecosystem, including funding the training for teachers of the state’s dual-language programme (DLP), during school holidays.
“This is important because we have (DLP) assessment tests for Primary Six, Form Three and Form Five, using Cambridge syllabus and standards,” he stressed.
He added that such assessments were crucial in determining students’ performance.
“From our perspective, if our children are not assessed, we do not know their standard. Automatic promotion does not reflect their standard and we want them to be competitive in terms of education.
“Furthermore, this is not free whereby the state government bears the cost,” he said.
Earlier, he said Sarawak will continue to emphasise a dual-language policy in education in the State, with Bahasa Malaysia as the national language and English as the language of knowledge acquisition.
“The situation has changed. English is not a colonial language but a universal medium. If we cannot speak English, we are left behind, we feel isolated,” he said.
Abang Johari added that Sarawak supports the learning of other languages, including Mandarin and ethnic languages.
“In rural areas, many Bumiputera students study in Chinese-medium schools, and if we do not recognise Unified Examination Certificate (UEC), we deprive them of opportunities.
“Furthermore, if Bumiputera students are proficient in Mandarin, there will be no language barrier,” he said, while adding that this would enhance trade and communication, particularly with China, the world’s second-largest economy.
He also stressed that Sarawak’s education policy seeks inclusivity by involving four main stakeholders – teachers, the community, students and parents – who must all move in the same direction to strengthen education quality in the state.
