SBJK poised to transform Chow Kit

KUALA LUMPUR: The redevelopment of Sekolah Bimbingan Jalinan Kasih (SBJK), at Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz here is poised to transform Chow Kit into a quality educational area for the less fortunate children around the federal capital.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak said the construction of a new seven-storey academic building and a hostel building for the unique government funded school would see quality education being made available in the area.
"Who can imagine this Chow Kit can be transformed into a potential area for the future of homeless children.
"The seven-storey building, scheduled for completion by November next year and the hostel building by 2020, will provide new shelters for homeless and underprivileged children in the federal city," he said when visiting the construction site of the school redevelopment project here today.
Also present were Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid, Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani and Education director-general Tan Sri Dr Khair Mohamad Yusof.
In June last year, the Prime Minister during his visit to the school, announced an allocation of RM30 million to build an academic and hostel building to enable students in the school to have better and safer access to education.
SBJK which provides free learning to children, aged four to 19, was set up at the initiative of the Education Ministry to provide access to education for street children in and around Kuala Lumpur.
The building, which was previously known as the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory Education Office, started its operation as a special school on Aug 19, 2013 and currently accommodates 152 students.
Noting that the education sector played a very important role in realising the vision of becoming a high income developed nation, Najib said the government had a huge responsibility in ensuring and providing access to education to all segments of the society.
"In the next ten years to come, imagine how many children (homeless) if they do not get such quality education, what will be their fate?

"It's quite unfortunate for them ... (because of that) the government is committed to provide a new chapter in their lives," he said.
The Prime Minister also quoted the 'Climbing the Ladder: Socio-Economic Mobility in Malaysia' report by Khazanah Research Institute, which among others, revealed that the most effective social mobility factor was education and training skills.
Najib said through education, individuals from all walks of life could improve their living standard in just one generation.
Hence. through the efforts undertaken by the government via the National Education Key Result Areas initiative, national pre-school enrollment has been increased from 67 per cent in 2009 to 85.6 per cent in 2016.
"Insya-Allah, I am confident and believe that if these initiatives in the field of education are continued and intensified, we can achieve the 100 per cent target of pre school national enrollment by 2020," he said.
Najib said he was proud of SBJK's success in providing formal education in a conducive environment for street and marginalised children in the city since its operation which has also received international recognition.
SBJK has received various international visitors, which include Ha Books Vietnam, Ratchathani Ubon Thailand University, Lembaga Akreditasi Negara Indonesia, Korea-Malaysia Teacher Programme Chungdatum Korea, and from the British Council, South Africa, he added. — Bernama