KUCHING, Jan 21 —  The Sarawak Bumiputera Teachers Union (KGBS) welcomes the launch of the National Education Development Plan (RPN) 2026-2035, describing it as a strategic effort to strengthen education quality, access and equity from early childhood to higher education.

In pointing this out, KGBS president Zulkiflee Sebli said the union supported the government’s aspiration of developing competitive, ethical and well-balanced human capital, in alignment with the country’s future needs.

However, he also stressed that the implementation in Sarawak must reflect on-the-ground realities.

“For Sarawak, particularly schools in the rural and interior areas, policies must be translated into practical support that addresses infrastructure gaps, digital access, transportation challenges and teacher shortages,” he said when contacted by The Borneo Post on Tuesday.

Zulkiflee said students in the remote areas would require additional assistance in physical facilities, Internet connectivity, learning resources and academic interventions to ensure that they would not be at a disadvantage, compared to their urban peers.

“If these structural issues are not resolved early, the education gap between urban and rural students will continue to widen,” he said.

On the requirement for mastery of Bahasa Melayu and Malaysian History across all school streams, KGBS viewed the move as ‘important’ in strengthening national identity, unity and historical awareness, but also cautioned that implementation must consider students’ diverse linguistic backgrounds.

“Rural students who grow up with different mother tongues will need focused remedial programmes, properly trained teachers and context-appropriate materials so that this policy would become empowering, rather than burdensome,” said Zulkiflee in explaining KGBS’ points.

KGBS also expressed support for the preschool entry policy for five-year-olds beginning next year, but it still highlighted concern over the readiness in rural and remote areas.

“Without sufficient preschool centres, trained educators and proper facilities, children in the interior may not receive the same quality of early education as those in urban areas,” said Zulkiflee.

On the transfer of Form 6 and matriculation programmes to the Higher Education Ministry, Zulkiflee said the move could help align pre-university education with tertiary requirements, provided that safeguards would be in place for the students.

“Fair quotas, financial assistance, accommodation and accessible institutions are essential to ensure that students from rural backgrounds are not sidelined in this transition,” he said.

“Overall, KGBS hopes the Education Blueprint 2026-2035 would move beyond policy intent and be implemented in a way that would genuinely benefit the students and the teachers.

“The true measure of this plan will be seen in classrooms, especially in the interior areas, and in whether or not it helps close the long-standing education gap in Sarawak,” added Zulkiflee. — The Borneo Post