Thursday May 26, 2011

Nine more schools awarded HPS status

PUTRAJAYA: The Education Ministry has announced another nine High Performance Schools (HPS) for the year, bringing the total number to 52.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the status upgrade meant 32 schools made the cut this year, exceeding the ministry's 2011 target of 30 HPS.

“The quality of existing education provisions must be upgraded to be on par with advanced nations on the international stage,” he said in his speech which was read by his deputy Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong.

“A number of HPS have already been visited by representatives from Singapore, Thailand, China, Japan and Finland for benchmarking purposes.

Time to rejoice: Wee mingling with the schools’ principals after handing over the HPS certificates at the Education Ministry in Putrajaya yesterday. – Bernama

“This shows that these schools have succeeded in attracting foreign interest in holding collaborative efforts for the improvement of overall student outcomes,” he added.

Muhyiddin said the Education National Key Results Area (NKRA) unit had worked with the HPS unit under the School Management Division (Residential and Excellent Schools) to ensure the 30-school target was met.

The nine new HPS comprised seven secondary and two primary schools.

The secondary schools were SM Sains Sabah, SM Agama Persekutuan Labu, Negri Sembilan, SMS Tuanku Munawir, Negri Sembilan, SMK Lembah Bidong, Terengganu, SMS Kuala Selangor, Selangor, SMK Agama Naim Lilbanat, Kelantan, and SMS Kuching, Sarawak.

SK Seksyen 9, Selangor, and SJKC Tung Hua, Sarawak, were the two primary schools.

Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, announced the second 23 schools on Feb 27 at SK Ulu Lubai in Limbang, Sarawak.

He added then that the status elevation of rural schools proved that any school could achieve academic success.

The first 20 HPS were announced last year. Two other HPS Sekolah Tun Fatimah, Johor, and SMS Tengku Abdullah, Pahang were singled out for praise for representing Malaysia at the Arafura Games held in Darwin, Australia, from May 8 to 16.

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