(Miri, 2nd) Datuk Dr Annuar Rapa'ee, Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development of Sarawak, frankly stated that the free Form Five tuition classes promoted by the Sarawak Education Fund Board for decades have been proven to be a failed policy, and the implementation of the Highly Effective Rural School (HIPERS) program, covering 26 schools across Sarawak, has also been less than satisfactory.
He stated that if Sarawak continues to stand still without making any changes and continues to use the current method of the Education Fund Board, it is estimated that it will take up to 276 years to catch up with the national average score (GPN) target. This data is based on the distribution map of the national and Sarawak average scores from 2014 to 2023, showing that reform is urgent.
Datuk Dr Annuar Rapa'ee emphasized this during the Northern Sarawak region workshop of the Sarawak Education Enhancement Program (SEEP).
He said that the policy of free Form Five tuition classes did not bring significant educational progress, as the average score of Sarawak students has barely improved over the years, achieving an average score of below 5.0 only last year.
“These plans, which use the people’s hard-earned money but achieve no results, prove that we need a thorough reflection. The High-Performance Rural School Program is similarly ineffective. Some schools may have one or two outstanding students, but the overall average score remains high, with scores exceeding 5.0 being common.”
According to statistics, the HIPERS program was implemented in 26 remote schools in Sarawak, with significant progress only seen in SMK Temenggong Datuk Muip Sibu, SMK Kanowit, SMK Matu, and SMK Dalat, while performances in the other 22 schools fluctuated significantly.
Datuk Dr Annuar Rapa'ee particularly mentioned SMK Saribas, which received RM50,000 in annual funding during the past eight years of the program, but only one student achieved 9A in the Malaysian Higher School Certificate examination last year.
He urged the attending education department officials, principals, and representatives to seriously consider whether to continue the HIPERS program and suggested replacing it with the Sarawak Education Enhancement Program (SEEP), implementing a data-driven and continuous monitoring reform model to ensure that education policies meet their goals.
“I must frankly tell everyone that Sarawak’s education policy cannot repeat past failures. We need clear directions and goals to reshape the future of Sarawak’s education.”
Additionally, Datuk Dr Annuar Rapa'ee also pointed out that currently, as high as 70% of secondary school students in Sarawak are unable to pursue higher education. If this status quo is not improved, it would severely impact the plan to implement free higher education policy in 2026.
He elaborated on the three main goals of SEEP: firstly, to push Sarawak's Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM) results into the top five nationwide within the next five years, aiming to reduce the 2022 average score of 5.06 to 4.74 by 2026; secondly, to increase the enrollment rate in science classes: achieving 40% of Form Four and Form Five students in science classes by 2026, a 5 percentage point increase from 35% in 2022; and thirdly, in line with the free higher education policy: ensuring more excellent Sarawak students can enter higher education institutions by 2026 to enjoy free education.
He said that SEEP will prioritize students with a household per capita income of less than RM1,500 and use the 2023 year-end estimated exam (UASA) data to identify students scoring below 44 or failing. Meanwhile, schools can decide based on actual conditions the participation eligibility of other students.
He stated that to support this plan, the Sarawak government has allocated RM15 million in 2023 and will increase it to RM20 million in 2024.
Annuar Rapaee emphasized that this capital comes from taxpayers and must be ensured to be used effectively, bringing significant results.
“The Sarawak Education Enhancement Program is particularly important for rural students. We hope that through this program, we can create fair opportunities for further education for every student, propelling Sarawak towards greater educational heights.”