Sarawak govt forms company to manage planned residential schools
KUCHING, Dec 6 ― The state government has formed a company to manage and operate five residential international schools that will be built next year, Education, Science and Technological Research Minister Datuk Seri Michael Manyin said today.
He said the company, Sanjung Sdn Bhd, will have an initial capital of RM1 million and will report to the Sarawak Foundation.
“We are now in the process of appointing the chief executive officer (CEO) of the company as requested by the Education Ministry,” he told reporters after the signing of an agreement between Sarawak Research and Development Council, University of Cambridge and Sarawak Campus of Curtin University of Technology here.
He said the CEO will apply for licenses to operate the five international schools from the ministry.
Manyin added that the state government has already identified several state lands as sites for the schools.
The first fully residential school will be built at the Batu 12 area along the Kuching-Serian expressway next year and the first intake will take place in early 2021.
The second school will be located on a site near the Sarawak Heart Centre in Kota Samarahan, the third in Sibu, and the fourth and fifth in Bintulu and Miri respectively.
He said the schools are designed to accommodate up to 500 students.
He said school headmasters will help the state government to pick the best and brightest students based on Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) examination results.
"However, we will also give more attention to rural students,” he said adding that rural students with 2As in their UPSR result are considered as bright taking into account the lack of facilities in their schools.
He said the school syllabus will be based on the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) from University of Cambridge.
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