Sabah Continues to Strengthen Education, TVET and AI

Sabah is on track in its education development agenda by continuing to strengthen human capital empowerment, expanding educational assistance, and strengthening TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training), enhancing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and incorporating AI (Artificial intelligence) literacy. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor said all Sabahans are given access to the best educational opportunities regardless of race and background.

“Skills development and youth empowerment will continue to be strengthened through the expansion of scholarships and educational assistance. The enhancement of TVET and STEM, agricultural training and digital technology, with a focus on AI literacy, are among the areas that the State Government will continue to prioritise,” Hajiji said on 11 June 2026 during the “4th School Management Appreciation Ceremony (Majlis Apresiasi Pengurusan Sekolah or MAPenS) 2026”, organised by the Sabah State Education Department (Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri Sabah or JPNS) at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC), Kota Kinabalu.

The State Government has consistently supported and collaborated with JPNS and the Ministry of Education Malaysia in educational initiatives including the construction and upgrading of schools, the provision of information and communication technology (ICT) facilities, motivation programmes for rural students, and scholarships for underprivileged students. The state has implemented several of its own programmes including the One-Off Higher Education Registration Cash Assistance (Bantuan Tunai Pendaftaran IPT Secara One-Offor BUDI), Computer Assistance, Examination Special Cash Assistance, Sabah Students Airfare Assistance, and the Contribution for Higher Education Students in Sabah (Sumbangan Mahasiswa Pengajian Tinggi Dalam Sabah or SENTOSA).

In addition, the Yayasan Sabah and the Sabah Islamic Religious Council (Majlis Ugama Islam Sabah or MUIS) also offer educational assistance. Sabah’s performance in education is encouraging: from 5.0 in the the State Average Grade (Gred Purata Negeri or GPN) in 2024 to 4.85 in 2025. Hajiji said that the positive achievement is the result of close cooperation among teachers, parents and all parties involved in the education system.