KUALA LUMPUR: Education was a big winner in the 2016 Budget, taking up almost 20 per cent of the budget’s total amount.
Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan said this was reflective of the government’s commitment towards strengthening education among the young.
"We are happy as there is allocation to build more schools. We really need this especially in heavily-populated areas," he said.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today announced that the government would continue to provide allocation to develop and maintain education facilities for national schools, national-type Chinese schools and national-type Tamil schools.
Also included are religious schools, fully residential schools, national religious assisted schools, MARA Junior Science Colleges, registered Sekolah Pondok and national-type Chinese secondary schools or Conforming schools which adopt the national curriculum.
For this, RM500 million has been set aside.
Meanwhile, Kamalanathan said his ministry was also happy with the move to continue the RM100 assistance for needy students.
“The cash assistance at the beginning of the year will lessen the burden of parents who belong in the low-income group." he said.
From January 2016 onwards, the RM100 assistance would be given to students from households with a monthly income of RM3,000 and below.
The assistance totaling RM35 million would benefit 3.5 million students.