Wednesday August 30, 2006
Skills hope for early leavers
BY NG SI HOOI
KUALA LUMPUR: The MCA will not only assist smart students to further their studies but will also go all out to help early school leavers to acquire skills through its Revitalising Education programme under the MCA’s Nine-Point Party Platform(9PPP).
Party president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said early school leavers from the lower-income group could apply to Koperasi Jayadiri Malaysia (Kojadi) for interest-free study loans to pursue vocational and technical courses at colleges that had forged a partnership with Kojadi Institute. A total RM2mil worth of loans had been set aside from its Chang Ming Thien Foundation.
“Early school leavers are also assets to the country if they are given the chance to pursue living skills they are interested in. They can become beauticians or mechanics,” he told reporters after visiting Times Academy, one of the partners with Kojadi Institute, in Kajang near here yesterday.
Ong said Kojadi Institute provided six training programmes.
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SOUND ADVICE: Ong talking to three advanced automotive technology students — Kong Chin Wai, 23, Foo See Luen, 18, and Saw Boon Lin, 18, at the Times Academy in Kajang yesterday. Looking on (on Ong’s left) is Times Academy president F.W. Chay. |
Through the Revitalising Education programme, Ong said the party planned to expand its project to provide tuition at primary schools with a high dropout rate.
He said the party had started the project in 20 schools last year following the success of its pilot project in SJK Chong Hwa, which was initiated by Terengganu MCA in 2005.
“The pupils of participating schools have become more motivated and have shown an initiative to study. Their parents are also willing to take a more active role in their children’s education,” he said.
“The pupils receive tuition in their weak subjects so that they can follow the school syllabus. This can help to bring down the dropout rate.”
Due to the success, Ong said, the party planned to introduce the project to 50 more schools in the rural areas by next year.
“The RM2mil donation from Kuok Group to Hua Ren Education Foundation is timely to enable us to extend the project to more schools. But we still need more money so that more schools and more pupils can benefit,” he said.
Ong said the party would also provide tuition to Year Six pupils during the two-month year-end school holidays so that they would find it easier to adapt to the new teaching method and environment in secondary schools. The party also planned to provide tuition classes for Remove students as well as weaker students in Forms One and Two.
Also present at the press conference were Deputy Education Minister Datuk Hon Choon Kim and Kojadi chairman Datuk Tan Kim Leong.
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