Skills training from Form One

By: R. Sittamparam


Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Green Light Media Sdn Bhd managing director Malina Su holding a poster of 'Best Buds'

PUTRAJAYA: The country's school system will be infused with vocational, technical and skills training streams at an earlier stage to serve as a second netting to reduce the school dropout problem.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said under the new system, which would feature prominently by 2010, students would be introduced to vocational and technical education from Form One, compared with Form Three at present.

Aimed at students whose academic performance is poor, it will see the empowering of the country's 90 technical and vocational schools to fulfil the growing human resource needs of industries, the minister said.

"With vocational, technical and skills training, even poor students will have the chance to enter and compete in the job market."

He said this after launching a children's English magazine, Best Buds at his ministry here yesterday.
Best Buds is a monthly magazine targeted at children of seven to 14 years of age. It covers topics such as environment, health. savings, inventions and sports in simple language that kids could easily understand, as well as fun subjects such as toys, fashion, jokes and young celebrities.

Published by Green Light Media Sdn Bhd, it is priced at RM5.50 and will be available at all MPH bookstores.

Hishammuddin said the ministry was looking at instilling qualities such as entrepreneurship, mental resilience, competitiveness and interactive skills through the school curriculum.

"This way, when the students leave school and enter university or college, they will be welcomed to work in the private sector due to their positive attitudes and values."

Hishammuddin said the ministry also hoped to rope in industries to develop and sustain the new streams.

"Their role will be to identify the sectors students should be prepared for and work with us to develop the curriculum.

"They will also provide internship for students."

The New Straits Times Online: 26 Julai 2008