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Monday, 14 February 2011

Bible Knowledge to be taught in school

In a landmark decision, the Cabinet gives the green light to a proposal that will help Christian students sitting the SPM exam.

PENAMPANG: Bible Knowledge will now be taught as subject in the school premises, but outside the normal class hours.

The decision puts an end to the problem faced by students taking the subject in public examinations.

In the past, these students had to learn it on their own outside their respective school premises.

The decision was made during the first meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Bumiputera of Sabah and Sarawak meeting chaired by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak on Feb 7.

Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Bernard Dompok, who is also the committee’s technical committee chairman, said the decision would assist students taking this subject in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) exam.

“On behalf of all quarters, I thanked the prime minister and the federal government for being attentive to the wishes of the community, particularly the Christians.

“We believe this landmark decision will go a long way towards the full realisation of the 1Malaysia concept,” he said.

Dompok, who is also Penampang MP and Upko president, was speaking at a press conference after he officiated at the launch of a mobile clinic unit and an ambulance for the district health clinic here.

Education Ministry circular

Dompok said that prior to this, students like those studying in SMK Datuk Peter Mojuntin here, who took up Bible Knowledge as a subject, had to learn it on their own outside the school premises.

“I raised the difficulties faced by students of SMK Datuk Peter Mojuntin on this matter.

“Such a situation also happened at the government schools in other places. With the decision, the students concerned now can learn the subject after their normal class schedule has ended,” he said.

Dompok also said the Cabinet had also agreed with other requests made by the technical committee based on the resolutions of the Federation of Christian Mission Schools Malaysia conference held in the middle of last year.

He said this included setting up a Christian club and organisation in the mission schools which now only needs the approval of the school principal, unlike before.

“It was agreed during the meeting that a circular on this matter will be issued by the Education Ministry to the schools concerned.

“The circular will also stated that the Cabinet has agreed that the principal of mission schools have the power to approve the setting up of a Christian club and organisation,” said Dompok.

The Feb 7 meeting was said to have also discussed the intake of Bumiputera of Sabah and Sarawak into the civil service, native customary land issue, economic opportunities for the local contractors, as well as the Sabah Native Court institution.

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