By Norrasyidah Arshad
SHAH ALAM, Aug 31 — About 200,000 students are set to benefit from free extra classes under the Selangor People’s Tuition Programme (PTRS) by 2026, compared with the 130,000 enrolled now.
Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said the increase in enrolments is among intervention plans to empower the state’s education sector, in addition to emphasising the artificial intelligence (AI) field.
“God willing, we have planned a few intervention methods. Previously, the PTRS involved 6,000 students, which then grew to 20,000, and now there are over 100,000.
“By 2026, we expect that 200,000 students will be enrolled in the PTRS. We will also focus on primary school pupils to help those left behind in literacy and counting during the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
He said this at the Madani Leadership and Malaysian Headmasters’ Association (Selangor branch) meet-and-greet and Appreciation Ceremony at Dewan Jubli Perak Sultan Abdul Aziz here yesterday.
On August 13, Amirudin said the PTRS has been improved with the development of an online app to facilitate 130,000 students’ access to learning materials.
He said the ePTRS portal provides methods on answering exam questions and revision modules, which can be accessed by all students, including those outside the state.
Earlier, Menteri Besar Selangor (Incorporated) Foundation chair Ahmad Azri Zainal Nor said the PTRS has the membership of 230 schools, with an allocation of RM10 million, including for students’ sponsored lunches.
Azri said the programme includes extra classes for Bahasa Malaysia, English, mathematics, science, history, and additional mathematics.
Meanwhile, Amirudin in his speech at the event emphasised the importance of educators in the nation’s development.
He said the administration must work closely with educators to shape a generation with admirable traits.
“Teachers do not just provide basic academic education, but also shape identities. If not done early, (students) will face obstacles and huge challenges in future.
“We must work together to ensure the future generation has good identity, personality and morality.
During the appreciation ceremony, Amirudin presented awards to over 50 headmasters who achieved excellence in various categories.
An SK Taman Ehsan headmaster said the award the school received in the technology category will drive it to continue reaching for success.
“We are active in handling drones. This year, we went to international competitions in China and Singapore. Our participants were aged under 12, while those of other countries were aged over 15.
“God willing, we will continue making Selangor and Malaysia proud,” he said.
