Some federal education rules don’t work here, says Sabah govt

The state says there are some remote areas where it is not practical to implement the national education policy.

Students in some rural areas in Sabah travel long distance to get to a government school. (Bernama pic)

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government said it is not practical to implement the national education policy, which makes it compulsory for children aged seven and above to attend school, in many areas in the state.

State assistant minister Jenifer Lasimbang said this was due to the challenging landscape and the way of life of the people in these areas.

“Personally, I don’t agree that a 7-year-old should be forced to stay in hostels because it is not positive to their development. They have to leave their families in pursuit of education.

“Even a university student could have a cultural shock, what more seven-year-old children who suddenly have to live a life extremely alien, away from their families,” she said.

Lasimbang said the state government was prepared to provide alternative education to children in the remote areas of the state instead of forcing them to attend government schools.

In Sabah, many children from remote rural areas are sent to boarding schools, and they only get to go home during the long school holidays.

But Lasimbang said in some places where there are not enough rooms in the hostels, children have to walk for hours everyday to go to school.

Jenifer Lasimbang.

She also found out that parents have to fork out up to RM200 for a boat ride in Pensiangan in the interior of Sabah to get to the school, on top of other expenses such as the school uniform and books.

She said her ministry found it necessary to start exploring other ways to educate children in the state, including drafting curriculum based on the needs and resources available.

“As long as we are not confined to the national education policy, we can provide alternative ways of attaining education.

“There are many ways we can do this, provided we are not tied down to one policy where we have to send children to government schools for education. It includes homeschooling or community schooling,” she said.

She said the state ministry would negotiate terms with the Ministry of Education (MOE) on the issue.

On discussions with MOE, Lasimbang said Education Minister Maszlee Malik had agreed in principle to give Sabah more power over its education infrastructure.

She said so far the response to Sabah’s demands was positive, adding that it was part of restoring Sabah’s rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

Under the Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) Report 1962, which formed the basis for the MA63, Sabah and Sarawak may retain their own education policies, including the use of English as the medium of teaching and learning, something which Lasimbang said she was working towards.

The IGC Report also stipulated that the policy and system of administration of education in Sabah and Sarawak should be undisturbed and remain under the control of the state government.

Lasimbang said the state was working to secure a certain amount of funds from MOE as a contingency fund in case of an emergency, such as natural disasters or fires, that would require schools to be repaired immediately.

“Otherwise, we will have to wait for funds to be made available and this could take six to 12 months. This should not happen any more,” she said. - FMT