Govt to expand Trust School programme, targets to transform 700 schools by 2025

JOHOR BARU: The Education Ministry plans to expand the Trust School Programme to more minority and rural schools nationwide with a target of having 700 trust schools by 2025.
Deputy Minister Senator Chong Sin Woon said this was to give the opportunity to the students, especially among the Orang Asli or those with special needs, to enjoy a better learning facilities and environment and hence, strive for excellence.
"So far, there are 62 trust schools in nine states and the ministry is hoping that the programme could be expanded to other states and to have 700 trust schools nationwide by 2025," he told reporters after opening the Trust School Conference 2016 here today.
Chong said the difference between a trust school and a normal school was that the trust school would receive funds from the private sector to help improve the school's management, as well as the teaching and learning process.
This way, it would also guide the school to be more innovative and capable of making their own decisions through entrepreneurship-like management.
Chong said due to the positive results seen so far, it was hoped that more corporate bodies and private companies would be involved in the programme.
The Trust School Programme kicked off in 2010 with only 10 schools as an initiative of Yayasan AMIR and supported by Khazanah Nasional Berhad. — Bernama