Sabah Includes Equity, Local Values and Identity in Education Plan

The Malaysia Education Plan 2026 - 2035 (Rancangan Pendidikan Malaysia or RPM), emphases digital education and infrastructure, teachers’ well-being, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as well as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). In Sabah, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor said that the State Government includes educational equity, local values and identity and the empowerment of school leadership. The critical issues such as dilapidated schools and teacher shortages in Sabah’s rural areas will be comprehensively addressed within the 10-year plan.

Hajiji said education continues to be a key agenda of the State government through the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) development plan, The State government rolled out 14 educational assistance initiatives from 2021 to 2025, and all these initiatives are continued in 2026 to help reduce the burden on schools and to ensure that students in Sabah have access to mainstream education, Hajiji said at the Education Convention and the 4th General Assembly of the Malaysian Headmasters Association (Persatuan Guru Besar Malaysia or PGBM), Sabah Branch on 10 May 2026 at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC), Kota Kinabalu.

Sabah’s education initiatives include the Bantuan Ihsan Sekolah Sabah (BISBAH), Bantuan Ihsan Komputer (BAIK), Bantuan Tunai Pendaftaran IPT (BUDI), Bantuan Aktiviti Guru dan Ibu Bapa Sabah (BAGUS), Bantuan Khas Tunai Peperiksaan (BAKTI), Bantuan Penyelenggaraan Kecil Sekolah (BALKIS), Bantuan Khas Pendidikan ( (BANTU), Anugerah Khas Kecemerlangan Pelajar (AKSA), and Sumbangan Kegiatan Sekolah Sabah (SUKSES), in addition to educational funding such as scholarships, study grants, study loans and zakat assistance. Hajiji said that school leaders must remain efficient administrators and possess high empathy towards members of the school community and be able to lead change. “PGBM Sabah will continue to be a strong platform for voicing the aspirations of headmasters in upholding the teaching profession,” Hajiji said.

Datuk James Ratib, State Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, delivered Hajiji’s speech.