Saying she understood that national education was under the federal education ministry’s purview, she said Sabah would like to share its input.
“We have yet to speak to the federal ministry about it but at the state level, of course we will assist where we can. At this point, our focus is on the infrastructure development of schools here.
“But that doesn’t mean we don’t have an opinion about this matter.
“We know separating science and arts is never a good thing as other developed countries have already combined them and managed to create powerful tools (for their progress),” Lasimbang said.
The Moyog assemblywoman was speaking after launching a fire safety awareness and presentation of firefighting tools to 10 schools at Penampang near here today.
Education Minister Maszlee Malik had previously said that starting next year, science and arts students could opt to take and combine subjects from the two streams, according to their preferences.
Maszlee also said that the current streaming system for Form 4 and Form 5 had restricted the potential of schoolchildren and led to a lot of wasted talent in the past.
Lasimbang said her ministry had a very good relationship with its federal counterpart but that this won’t stop the state from speaking up on issues that might impact Sabah.
“Some people say we (the state ministry) have never spoken up.
“But we have given our feedback, for instance, on the education ministry’s previous announcement that stateless children will be allowed entry into mainstream schools.
“I objected and I had to go to Putrajaya to explain to the ministry why Sabah did not agree on that.
“As the term ‘stateless’ is very sensitive in Sabah, I went to Putrajaya and explained why Sabah did not agree on that — I objected. We discussed the matter,” she said.
Lasimbang said although education was the right of every child, the state, at the same time, did not have the capacity to take in hundreds of thousands of students into its schools.
“So with the discussion, those in the federal ministry understood more about the situation in Sabah, which needs special attention.
“There are things we can conform to, like the free breakfast but there are others we can’t. But what’s important is that there is very good state-federal relationship and we can easily talk about issues,” she said.
Transfers of teachers under probe by cops
Lasimbang also said that teachers, who are subject of police investigations, should not merely be transferred to another school as this would set a bad precedent.
She said the teachers should be held accountable according to the rule of law.
Commenting on the case of a teacher who was transferred after allegedly stapling a Primary Four pupil’s ear for not finishing his homework in September, she said the education ministry should consider stricter punishment.
“We should not condone such actions. The penalty must be in line with our laws. Don’t just transfer the person.”
On Oct 4, Sabah education director Mistrine Radin had said the teacher was transferred to another school following the incident here on Sept 27.
City police chief Habibi Majinji said the boy’s parents had withdrawn their report filed on the day the incident took place but the police were still monitoring the situation.
It was reported the teacher was made to attend counselling sessions.
Lasimbang also expressed disappointment over a recent case involving a discipline teacher in Sabah’s east coast Beluran district who was found guilty of 14 charges, involving sex offences, on eight female pupils.
She said this had cast a bad light on the profession.
“I always remind teachers, especially those posted in rural areas, that the community looks up to them and they have a heavy responsibility.”
On Aug 26, Freddie @ Ampat Unsin, 56, was sentenced to a total of 80 years in jail and 20 strokes of the cane for 14 charges of rape, molestation and sodomy on eight girl students in 2015 and 2016.