JOHOR BARU: The Trust School Programme, conducted through a public-private partnership between the Education Ministry and non-profit foundation Yayasan Amir to boost accessibility to quality education, will be expanded to include various types of schools.
Deputy Education Minister II Senator Chong Chin Woon said the programme is expected to be conducted in up to 700 schools nationwide by 2025, and is important towards helping students become competent in the science and technology, innovation and creative fields.
"The ministry plans to not only increase the number of (trust) schools but also the types of schools that are involved. The ministry sees a bright future if the programme is expanded to involve various types of schools for minority groups, special needs students and rural schools.
"I hope that there will be more participation from the corporate sector in this effort to boost the quality of education and the effectiveness of learning at schools," he said when opening the fifth Trust Schools Programme Convention at the Berjaya Waterfront Hotel, here today.
Also present were Yayasan Amir board of trustees chairman Raja Tan Sri Raja Arshad Raja Tun Uda.
Yayasan Amir was established by Khazanah Nasional Bhd on Oct 26, 2010 as a foundation to drive the Trust School Programme under the Education Ministry.
There are now 62 trust schools nationwide. The programme was conceived as a long-term commitment to improve accessibility to quality education in public schools.
These schools are given greater decision-making freedom over curriculum, finance and human resources to encourage innovation and responsiveness to the needs of their individual schools.