Sports school among ‘cluster’

Tuesday June 10, 2008

Sports school among ‘cluster’


The Education Ministry has named the second batch of 30 cluster schools to be given additional funding and greater autonomy to improve performance.

Among them are Sekolah Datuk Abdul Razak in Seremban, SMK (L) Methodist in Kuala Lumpur, SJKC Lick Hung in Subang Jaya, SMJK Ave Maria Convent in Ipoh and the Bukit Jalil Sports School in Kuala Lumpur.

“This brings the cluster of excellent schools to 60. By 2010, we hope to have 300 such schools,” said Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein here yesterday.

The schools can apply for funding of up to RM500,000 to carry out various projects. They must also identify niche areas (curriculum and non-curriculum) that they want to focus on.

Hishammuddin also received a report from the Clusters of Excellence Advisory Board containing 75 recommendations to make the cluster schools a success.

Among the proposals forwarded were school-based assessment, including the abolition of the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR), laptops for all schoolchildren, single-session schools and smaller class sizes.

“We will study the recommendations and decide which can be adopted,” Hishammuddin said, adding that some of them had far-reaching consequences and would require changes to current rules and regulations.

He added that the ministry would make the report public to gather feedback on the recommendations from all stakeholders such as teachers and parents.

Hishammuddin also said that cluster school heads had been sent for courses at King’s College London in Britain, Monash University in Australia, Waikato University in New Zealand and Institut Aminuddin Baki in Genting Highlands to improve their leadership and management skills.

Commenting on the proposal by schoolbus operators to raise fares by up to RM50 following the reduction in fuel subsidy, Hishammuddin described the amount as “excessive”.

“I call on everyone not to take advantage of the situation and make schoolchildren victims of the current situation.”