KUALA LUMPUR, March 13 — All fully residential schools (SBP) are implementing the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) packages as part of efforts to achieve the target of 60 per cent student participation in all schools nationwide, according to the Education Ministry (MOE).
It said that 18,113, or 98.86 per cent of the total SBP students, are pursuing the STEM packages, and the remaining 209, or 1.14 per cent, have opted for the Social Science packages.
“The STEM packages in SBP include all pure science subjects (Physics, Chemistry, and Biology) as well as Add Maths or all pure science subjects (Physics, Chemistry, and Biology), Add Maths, Arabic, Quran, and Sunnah and Syariah Islamiah.
“Other STEM packages are pure science subjects (Physics, Chemistry, and Biology), Add Maths, Arabic, Hifz Al-Quran (Quran memorisation) and Maharat Al-Quran (skills of the Quran). Alternatively, students can opt for two pure science subjects (Physics and Chemistry), Add Maths and Computer Science,” the MOE said in a statement today.
The ministry's current focus is increasing student enrolment in pure science subjects across all types of schools.
“The MOE will also introduce a special SBP initiative focused on the Technical and Vocational Education and Training,” it said, adding that they welcome Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recommendation to increase the number of students taking STEM to meet the demand for human resources in related industries.
Meanwhile, the MOE will also strengthen cooperation with the Science, Technology, and Innovation Ministry to enhance the enculturation of STEM across all types of schools and levels.
Yesterday, Anwar proposed that 70 per cent of SBP students enrol in the STEM stream next year to strengthen their expertise in these fields, given their significance in national development.
— Bernama
