KUALA LUMPUR – The Education Ministry remains the largest recipient of Budget 2021 with an allocation of RM50.4 billion (15.6%).
However, the 2021 allocation is lower than the RM64.1 billion it received last year.
Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz said RM420 million of the budget has been allocated to the supplementary food plan (Rancangan Makanan Tambahan) that includes providing locally produced milk to pupils twice a week.
He added it is to ensure pupils from low-income families will have sufficient nutrition to remain healthy.
RM800 million will be allocated for maintenance and repairing of public schools and government-aided schools. It includes upgrading and constructing of open halls, or roof structures.
RM725 million will be allocated to upgrade the infrastructure of 50 dilapidated schools. Out of this allocation, RM120 million will be used to build and install 184 new wells for water supply of schools in rural Sabah and Sarawak.
RM45 million is allocated for the welfare of special needs pupils.
In addition, higher learning institutions will get RM14.4 billion through the Higher Education Ministry.
This includes RM50 million for infrastructure repair and old equipment in public universities, and RM50 million to upgrade internet access for Malaysian Research and Education Network from 500 Mbps to 10Gbps.
RM100 million is allocated for public university students for laptop loans through BSN My-Ringgit-I Comsis scheme.
To encourage parents to save for their children's higher learning education fees, tax exemption of up to RM8,000 is extended to 2022 for the National Education Saving Scheme (SSPN).
Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) that received RM5.9 billion of allocation for 2020, is getting RM6 billion for 2021.
RM300 million is allocated for Skills Development Fund Corporation, which is an increase of RM100 million from 2020.
The government is introducing a Dual National Plus Training System to encourage industries to be involved in TVET programmes.
RM60 million is allocated to raise the monthly allowance from RM635 to RM1,000, and will benefit 10,000 participants.
RM29 million is allocated to conduct TVET programmes under the Ministry of Higher Education. Among them are Islamic education and lifelong learning initiatives for 15,000 students in tahfiz institutions and Islamic pondok schools.
RM150 million has been allocated for Higher Education Ministry’s professional certification programmes.
New graduates are offered a RM3,000 voucher each to take professional courses in public and private universities.
A total of 50,000 graduates are expected to benefit from the programme. – The Vibes, November 6, 2020
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