‘Factor in challenges faced by rural students when implementing compulsory secondary education'

Borneo Post

21-06-2025

Dennis Ngau – Photo by Roystein Emmor
MIRI (June 21): The Ministry of Education's (MoE) push to make secondary school education compulsory is a step in the right direction towards securing a brighter future for every Malaysian child, said Datuk Dennis Ngau.
The Telang Usan assemblyman said the move sends a strong signal that the federal government is serious about ensuring no child is left behind in education, regardless of whether they come from urban or rural areas.
'Education is crucial no matter where you live. In my constituency, we do face issues of students dropping out, but this is due to several contributing factors,' he told The Borneo Post when contacted.
However, he pointed out that one of the key challenges in this initiative for rural students is the distance between their villages and the nearest secondary schools.
'In many areas, especially among the Penan communities, some children are reluctant to continue with secondary education because they have to stay in hostels far away from their families,' he said.
Dennis added that this situation is further compounded by the poor infrastructure of schools in remote areas.
'Some of the children genuinely want to pursue their education, but the long distances and difficult access make it tough for them.
'If the government is serious about making secondary schooling mandatory, I hope it will also take into account the unique challenges faced by rural students.'
He also proposed that the implementation of the policy—once passed in Parliament—be carried out in stages, especially in rural areas, to allow schools and communities time to adapt.
At present, Telang Usan constituency has 22 primary schools and three secondary schools, with a total enrolment of 2,754 students scattered across 88 villages and settlements.
Last Thursday, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek announced that the MoE would table amendments to the Education Act 1996 in the upcoming Parliament session to make education compulsory until the age of 17, in a bid to tackle the issue of student dropouts.
The next sitting of Parliament is scheduled to run from July 21 to Aug 28. Dennis Ngau lead Ministry of Education rural communities secondary school