SERDANG, April 19 —The educational support facilities introduced by the Education Ministry for parents and schools have shown a positive development, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

He said this could be clearly seen through parental involvement in school activities and students’ disciplinary problems in schools.

“Some parents use their expertise and skills to help students learn English,” he said at the national-level Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) excellence award ceremony here today.

Introduced last year, he said the initiative was aimed at bringing together all stakeholders, including parents and the community to create quality global human capital through schools. Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, said parents involvement through the parents support group volunteers (PSGV) proved that systematic and effective implementation of the facilities could change the education landscape. 

Comprising parents and school support facilities, the PSGV is aimed at ensuring the national education can be developed through smart partnership between parents and schools.

To date 62.3 per cent of secondary schools and 60.3 per cent of primary schools nationwide have set up PSGVs, Muhyiddin said, adding that through PSGVs, more interaction, sharing and brainstorming could be carried out to help schools implement teaching and learning support guided by the PTA constitution.

At the event, Sekolah Kebangsaan Setiawangsa Kuala Lumpur PTA was adjudged the most outstanding national-level PTA for 2012/2013. Muhyiddin said outstanding PTAs would certainly be able to select strategic partners such as the foundations, cooperatives and alumni to help carry out social development programmes and develop students character.

Urging PTAs to share information on best management practices and contest in a healthy atmosphere, he said: “I believe the award ceremony can be a driving force to PTAs nationwide to continue to improve their quality of management in order help realise the government's desire of developing human capital according to our own mould.” — Bernama