SMKA Jempol akan jadi sekolah agama TVET pertama negara

Minister of Education Fadhlina Sidek announced at the ground-breaking ceremony for Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Jempol that the school will become the first religious school in the country to offer Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). The RM98 million three-year project, located on a 14.22-hectare site, will be built to align with Malaysia's Education 12 (RMK-12) plan.

Previously, TVET was only available at polytechnics and traditional schools, but SMKA Jempol will introduce this model to the religious school sector. Fadhlina expressed hope that the project will be completed on schedule, enabling the country to develop TVET education that meets both industry and national needs. Following the completion of the ground-breaking ceremony, the school will boast fully residential facilities equipped with administrative and academic blocks, 25 classrooms, laboratories, workshops, a library, cafeteria, prayer hall, and dormitories capable of housing 720 students.

The minister highlighted the importance of encouraging students to master multiple languages as a crucial component of strengthening the proselytization agenda. Drawing inspiration from SMKA Sheikh Tahir Jalaluddin in Pulau Pinang, which is regarded as the first proselytization school in Malaysia, Fadhlina stated that students will be taught Mandarin, Tamil, English, and Arabic, in addition to Malay, alongside the compulsory Malay language. Nonetheless, students at religious schools must also be encouraged to master other languages.