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Friday March 4, 2005

Malaysian multiracial education for Thais

PUTRAJAYA: Education for a multiracial community will be the subject of a cooperation deal between the Education Ministry and its Thai counterpart.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, who received a Thai delegation, including teachers from southern Thailand, led by Deputy Education Minister Aree Wongsearaya, said the two had discussed many matters, particularly those related to religious education, sekolah pondok (village schools) and sekolah agama rakyat (people’s religious schools).

“I am excited that our friends (from Thailand) can learn from our experiences in dealing with education for a multiracial society as what has happened in southern Thailand can affect us too,” he said after the ministry’s post-Cabinet meeting yesterday.

Hishammuddin said he would further strengthen the relationship with his Thai counterpart at the Asean Education Ministers’ meeting in Hanoi on March 25.

In southern Thailand, there are 566 Islamic streamed schools of which 303 are village schools and 263 people’s religious schools.

On another matter, he said another RM21.4mil would be allocated to 179,227 poor students through a fund set up for poor students called the Kumpulan Wang Amanah Pelajar Miskin.

On the accident in Kota Tinggi on Tuesday in which two teachers were killed, Hishammuddin said he had received the report on the matter.

“My officers have gone to meet their families,” he said.

Asked whether the ministry would ensure all schools were provided with a vehicle to transport students to functions, he said this would have to be studied.

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