SHAH ALAM, Nov 17 — Sentosa state assemblyman G Gunarajah has recommended the Selangor People’s Tutoring Programme (PTRS) should begin in primary schools onwards, to address the 3M issue of reading, arithmetic, and writing.
He said mastering the 3M should not be underestimated in the age of globalisation and should be prioritised to produce a knowledgeable generation.
[caption id="attachment_308654" align="alignleft" width="440"]
Sentosa state assemblyman and the Menteri Besar's special officer for community relations Dr G Gunarajah speaks during the launch of the Selangor Junior Superstar 2023 programme at Taman Sentosa in Klang, on April 13, 2023. — Picture by AHMAD ZAKKI JILAN/SELANGORKINI[/caption]
"I propose that PTRS be initiated from primary schools, providing remedial intervention classes so students can master the 3M before entering secondary school, thus addressing the issue of early dropouts.
"In addition, I suggest PTRS be conducted by teachers from other schools to obtain new or different teaching and learning techniques. It can provide a fresh perspective for students and prevent them from feeling bored," he said.
Gunarajah was speaking during the Selangor State Legislative Assembly session yesterday.
He also proposed Menteri Besar Selangor (Incorporated) initiatives be handled by schools in collaboration with their respective state assemblymen.
"This will ensure the main objective of implementing PTRS, created in line with the state government's aim to assist students with moderate or weak academic performance, can be achieved," Gunarajah said.
Last Friday (November 10) Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari announced an additional RM3 million allocation for PTRS to MBI next year, during the tabling of the 2024 Selangor Budget.
He said the state government had previously allocated RM7 million for the programme, bringing the total to RM10 million for the upcoming year.
PTRS focused on 65,000 students in Selangor by providing additional classes in Bahasa Melayu, English, Mathematics, Science, History, and Additional Mathematics in 2023.
The additional funding aims to meet the targets outlined in the Kita Selangor Unity Government Pledges (Tawaran Kita Selangor Kerajaan Perpaduan) of assisting 200,000 students within the next five years.
