Claim not true: Masidi

STATE Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun has refuted a claim that 40 per cent of students in SMK Bum-Bum could not sit for their 2008 PMR and SPM examinations because they do not have ICs.

He said there were 259 candidates for the PMR and 171 candidates for SPM in Bum-Bum and that 258 had sat for the PMR while all SPM candidates sat for the examination.

Sulabayan Assemblyman Datuk Harman Ibrahim had said Wednesday that there were about 1,000 students in SMK Bum-Bum with an estimated 40 per cent who could not sit for their examinations.

On other developments, Masidi said the Education Ministry has approved 475 schools to implement the j-QAF programme. He said a total of 1,217 j-QAF teachers have been approved for the 475 schools.

"The Education Ministry has suggested another 52 schools for its expansion in 2009," he said.

On other developments, he said the State Education Department also concurred with Membakut Assemblyman Datuk Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif's statement that the Membakut education office should not be closed.

He said the department has presented its view verbally on the matter to the Education Ministry. "The State Education Department would be forwarding an official letter to the ministry on the issue," he said.

Meanwhile, he said the academic quality enhancement programme for UPSR pupils dubbed "1 PPD 100 5A" is aimed at increasing the percentage of pupils who scored 5As in each district.

He said the Education Department was targeting 2,400 pupils to score 5As in the UPSR in Sabah by 2011.

The number of pupils in Sabah scoring 5As had increased from 895 last year to 955 this year, he said.