KUALA LUMPUR: Public universities will attract the cream of the crop when there is more money pumped into the sector.
National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general Harry Tan said more allocation for public universities would mean better quality teachers and ultimately higher standards of instructions provided in schools.
He said a larger budget for both the Education and Higher Education Ministries would see to continuous professional development of those in the field.
“With the move towards implementing the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) grading scheme next year, we would like to see both ministries train more who opt to teach English as well as provide for those who opt not to do so,” Tan told the New Straits Times.
He also expressed hope for an increased allocation for both ministries in anticipation of the 2018 Budget.
UPM vice-chancellor Datin Paduka Aini Ideris said that academics would like the government to make education a priority by allocating sufficient budget for the sector.
“Basically, we would like the government make education a priority. Education is the future for Malaysia. Investment in education is a must. A sufficient budget must be allocated for education and health,” she added.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak tweeted on Wednesday that the government remains committed in producing competitive graduates with a RM7.4 billion allocated to 20 public universities in 2017.
He had also asked the public to tune into his #Budget2018 speech on Oct 27.