KUALA LUMPUR – The Education Ministry has received RM55.6 billion under Budget 2023, Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said when tabling the spending plan today.
This constitutes over 15% of the RM372.3 billion budgeted for government spending next year and is an increase for the sector, which received RM52.6 billion for 2022.
Among the major allocations in the education budget is RM6.7 billion allocated for technical and vocational education and training.
Similarly, another RM3.8 billion is allocated for scholarships and education loans.
RM2.3 billion is also allocated to create “a safe and conducive learning environment for students”, Tengku Zafrul said, including RM1.1 billion for school maintenance and repairs.
The RM2.3 billion is an increase from the RM1.7 billion allocated for the same purpose this year, and will cover vernacular, religious, and national schools.
Another RM1.2 billion is also allocated to upgrade dilapidated schools in Sabah and Sarawak.
The government also allocated RM430 million to build five new schools in Selangor, Sabah, Sarawak, Terengganu, and Cyberjaya.
For school pupils, the government has allocated RM150 as aid to buy school supplies, totalling RM875 million for 2023.
Separately, RM777 million is also allocated for the Rancangan Makanan Tambahan school food programme, which will benefit some 800,000 students and 7,300 school canteen operators. – The Vibes, October 7, 2022
