KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 4.65 million students have registered at 10,200 primary and secondary schools nationwide for the 2018 school session as at Jan 8, according to Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid.
He said of the total, 2.66 million were primary school students and 1.99 million others were secondary school students, including lower sixth formers.
”That is why the government is committed to completing basic school facilities, especially at dilapidated schools, with an allocation of RM2.5 billion provided under the 2018 budget.
“Of the total, RM1 billion is allocated for the repair of dilapidated schools in Sarawak, RM1 billion for schools in Sabah, and another RM500 million for such schools in the peninsula,” he said during the Special Interview with Minister of Education programme aired on TV1 tonight.
Mahdzir said the government also targeted preschool registration among children aged four and five would increase to 80 per cent and 94 per cent respectively this year.
On the secondary school student dropout rates, Mahdzir said the new guideline and module to manage student dropout issues at government and government-aided schools would be implemented this year.
“The secondary school student dropout rate has actually dropped from 1.6 per cent in 2016 to 1.36 per cent last year. So, the ministry will intensify effort to continue reducing the rate to 1.3 per cent this year,” he said. -- Bernama