SELC 2025: Boosting English literacy to power Sarawak's future workforce

Borneo Post

18-07-2025

Rentap (third left) says SELC 2025 brings in internationally-renowned speakers to share with the participants valuable methodologies and global best practices.
KUCHING (July 18): English literacy plays a pivotal role in strengthening Sarawak's human capital development and also in preparing the younger generation for the demands of an increasingly globalised and technology-driven world.
In highlighting this, State Deputy Minister for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Dato Gerald Rentap Jabu also stressed about the language's importance in ensuring Sarawak would reach its high-income economy status by 2030.
'English is not just a language; it is a tool for access,' he said in a statement to promote the Sarawak English Literary Conference (SELC) 2025, scheduled to be taking place at the Hikmah Exchange Event Centre here this Sept 17 to 19.
SELC 2025 is meant to be a strategic platform to support the Sarawak government's ongoing efforts in elevating the English language proficiency across all levels of education – from early childhood to tertiary stage.
Adding on, Rentap, also advisor to SELC 2025, said Sarawak would require a highly-skilled workforce especially in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in line with the state's Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, focusing on economic growth, environmental sustainability and social inclusivity.
'STEM must be accompanied by strong English literacy, beginning from early childhood.
'Introducing synthetic phonics at an early age has proven effective in building strong language foundations that can later support science and technological learning.'
On SELC 2025, Rentap said it would bring in internationally-renowned speakers in phonics, education and STEM — all of whom would share with the participants valuable methodologies and global best practices.
'With support from international experts, from Jolly Learning and STEM Learning UK, we want our educators, not just in Sarawak but from across Malaysia and beyond, to benefit from this knowledge-sharing opportunity.'
Rentap also spoke about the strategic importance of investing in educators themselves, underlining a strong education system would depend not only on the curriculum, but also on the capacity and commitment of its teachers.
'If we are to prepare our youths for tomorrow's challenges, from hydrogen energy to aerospace, from carbon management to AI (artificial intelligence), then our teachers must be equipped with the tools and vision to guide them.'
Describing SELC 2025 as a 'homegrown conference with international ambition', Rentap said the initiative meant to align strongly with Sarawak's broader aspirations.
'This is not just an event, as it is part of a long-term vision.
'We are grateful to the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development and the Ministry of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development, as well as the Sarawak Education Department and Business Events Sarawak, for their support in making this a reality.
'With the introduction of free tertiary education in Sarawak beginning from next year, the emphasis on literacy and technical knowledge is crucial than ever.
'We want our youths to have every opportunity to succeed, not only here in Sarawak but on the global stage.
'If they are equipped with strong English skills and a solid foundation in science and technology, they can go anywhere,' said Rentap.
For more information and registration details, go to www.selconference.com, or call Emierson on [phone], or access [email protected]. Gerald Rentap Jabu Kuching lead Sarawak English Literary Conference SELC