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    14 September 2012| last updated at 01:01AM

    Plan for 500 Trust schools by 2025



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    THE education system is in need of a two-fold change in its outlook.

    The Education Ministry through its preliminary report of the Malaysia Education Blueprint, noted that first, all stakeholders need transition to a new mindset which focuses on a system of learning rather then just schooling.

    Secondly, it said that parents and communities need to learn to view themselves as having an important role in contributing to the success of their children's education.

    Holding these principles in mind, the ministry expects to expand the Trust School Programme, which aims to increase accessibility to quality education to operate in 90 schools by 2020.

    The programme was conceived as a long-term commitment to improve accessibility to quality education in public schools, with the ministry's Public-Private-Partnership with non-profit foundation, Yayasan Amir.

    Trust schools operate through the provision of regular ministry funding and resources. They enjoy increased autonomy in decision making in school management to enable innovation and improvements in the quality of education.

    The ministry said that in 2010, 10 schools -- five from Johor and five from Sarawak -- had been selected to form the first cohort of the Trust School Programme.

    Selection of the schools are based on criteria such as geographical locations, dimensions of the schools and school types.

    Yayasan Amir also takes into consideration additional factors such as schools with the greatest transformational potential, a combination of rural and urban areas, high and low-performing schools and also on balanced social equity.

    The ministry said it would assess the results of the current pilot project of the programme at the end of next year.

    The programme will thereafter be expanded to 20 other schools by 2015.

    The ministry said it also expects to have 500 Trust schools in operation by 2025, representing five per cent of all public schools.

    The system will build on previous initiatives to act as a continuing test-bed for innovations in teaching and learning practices that can be institutionalised and applied throughout the entire education system for the benefit of all students.

    The ministry said it would also look into developing alternative methods of contracting specialised education services.

    This is because not all schools may be equally popular with potential sponsors.

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