Schooling session for four states begins Jan 3, Jan 4 for others

The 2016 schooling session for four states, namely, Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu and Johor, will begin on Jan 3, while other states will begin on Jan 4, said Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid.

He said the last day of schooling for the four states would be on Nov 24, while for the other states, it would be on Nov 25.

"A total of 448,498 new students will enter Standard One next year," he told reporters after chairing a meeting on the preparations ahead of the next schooling session.

Mahdzir also announced that schools, State Education Departments (JPN) and the District Education Departments (JPD) which were in flood prone areas had been instructed to make early preparations to face the possibility of floods to minimise damage and losses.

He said JPNs and JPDs, especially those in flood-prone areas were told to co-ordinate with the Civil Defence Department (JPAM) in taking preliminary measures, including moving equipment such as computers and photocopy machines temporarily to high ground.

JPNs and JPDs should also monitor weather forecasts from the Meteorological Department on a weekly basis, while district education officials who received instructions from JPN would meet with headmasters and principals to make preparations to face the floods, he said.

"The massive floods late last year resulted in damages (to schools) amounting to about RM100 million throughout the country. This is because the schools did not have time to transfer the equipment and facilities, and they eventually got damaged.

"Accordingly, improvement measures have been taken to make preparations this year to reduce damages," he said.

Meanwhile, Mahdzir said the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Higher Education and universities were actively seeking ways to reduce the dumping of education graduates in the country.

"The number of teachers serving under the Ministry of Education is already at a saturation point.

"The Ministry of Education, Ministry of Higher Education and universities have met, and among the proposals made were that the education faculties would maybe have to re-look at their student enrollment policy so as to reduce the number of students.

"However, this is not the decision of the Ministry of Education. It will be determined after the meeting," he said.

Mahdzir also said graduates from Teacher Education Institutions (IPG) and universities (Faculties of Education) have to pass the Education Service Commission (SSP) examination before being confirmed into service.

"The issue now is that many graduates from IPGs and the education faculties fail the examination which has resulted in the dumping of education graduates," he said.

Currently, there are 428,000 teachers serving nationwide, and approximately 4,500 teachers retired each year.