BEAUFORT: Lumadan Assemblyman Datuk Ruslan Muharam has proposed setting up a special Form Six school in Beaufort to bring together students from several secondary schools under one learning centre.
He said the idea would sharpen the focus on teaching and learning while allowing teachers to concentrate fully on the needs of Form Six students, adding that the government could initially rent a suitable building before considering a permanent campus in future.
“We propose the establishment of a special school for Form Six students. At this early stage, we may be able to use a rented shop building before the government constructs a dedicated building for this purpose, which would certainly benefit Form Six students in this district.
“This would not only involve students from schools in Lumadan such as SMK Gadong and SMK Weston but could also cover students from SM St John, SM St Paul, SMK Beaufort I, SMK Beaufort II and SMK Kuala Penyu (Klias), making it a Form Six hub for Beaufort,” he said.
He said this after officiating the Education Incentive Presentation Ceremony for outstanding Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) students at the Lumadan level here on Tuesday.
Ruslan, who is Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Assistant Minister, said the approach would not only benefit students but also help teachers focus their efforts on improving academic performance and student development at the pre-university level.
“This proposal reflects an approach I feel is very good for our children’s education, and it would also allow teachers to give more focus to Form Six students compared to the current situation,” he said.
Turning to efforts to ensure students in Lumadan are not left behind in digital skills, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and access to quality education, he said several basic challenges still need to be resolved in the area.
He said among these, the government needs to speed up efforts to complete internet facilities at several schools that still face poor connectivity, apart from upgrading education facilities, particularly in rural areas.
“Technological change is happening so fast and schools need to be equipped with sufficient facilities to realise STEM empowerment efforts among our children. At the same time, we want to produce more quality teachers because they are among the main contributors to student excellence,” he said.
He said several schools in Lumadan also face flooding problems that affect the learning process, including STEM empowerment efforts, with SK Suasa, SK Bukau and SK Lingkungan among the schools identified.
He said the Beaufort District Education Office (PPD), Beaufort District Office and the Lumadan Assemblyman’s Service Centre have held several action meetings to find solutions, including identifying a new and more suitable site for the affected schools.
“The PPD has submitted an application to the state government to take over the proposed land for the construction of a new school, and once the land matter is settled, we hope the Federal Government can channel allocation through the Ministry of Education to build this school at a location free from flood risk,” he said.
Earlier, 46 outstanding students, comprising five top STPM students and 41 SPM students, each received incentives ranging from RM500 to RM1,000, contributed by Ruslan at the annual event held since 2022.
