WHAT IS CLUSTER SCHOOL?

In a move to further strengthen national schools, the Education Ministry has designated another 60 schools as cluster schools. This brings their number to 120 which are 36 primary and 84 secondary schools. Education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom told the New Sunday Times that schools selected under the most recent exercise which is phase three of the cluster school program, were those that achieved a minimum 80 per cent mark in the “Standard for Quality Education in Malaysia Schools”. Evaluation based on the schools infrastructure, teaching and learning, administration, examination results, co-curricular activities, discipline and the schools’ relationship with their parent-teacher associations. Schools that won competitions organized by the ministry were nominated. The inspectorate of schools will visit the schools and make an evaluation. Then, a committee chaired by education director will pick the best among them. “The Clusters of Excellence Advisory Board evaluates the selections and approved them, with the final approval coming from the minister. The establishment of cluster schools is among the primary strategies of the National Education Blueprint 2006-2010. It is aimed at taking educational institutions to greater heights by granting schools unprecedented levels of autonomy in staffing, enrolment and curriculum. The first 30 cluster schools were announced by Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein in March 2007. Another 30 were subsequently announced under phase two of the program. Each cluster school can request special funds of up to RM500, 000 to assist in the running of the school. The schools get more autonomy in terms of finance. A school like SMK Victoria may need extra money to buy equipment for the school brass band, the schools could use the money to improve their infrastructure, buy computers, or carry out projects for their teaching faculty. For example, if a school’s niche area is music and it wants to hire a good music teacher, it can use the money to employ a teacher on contract. Schools interested in information and communications technology can use this allocation to hire professionals. They can even bring in teaching professionals from England to teach English in their schools. Cluster schools would also have more autonomy in terms of curriculum. For example, the technical division of the Education Ministry has signed memoranda of understanding with the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. Students studying accountancy for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) exam can obtain certificates from these bodies. This means the schools add value to the subjects for their students. The students will take the minimum core subjects and have the option to take an extra course offered by these three bodies or other professional bodies. So, the principal has certain autonomy on subjects and gets to choose the curriculum for his school. Cluster school principals could “pinch” students from other schools, selecting those who excel in the cluster schools’ niche areas. For example, SMK Victor if’s niche area is its brass band. The principal can take in students who are good at that from other schools. The same goes for sports and games. Cluster schools are also given greater autonomy to decide the way they are managed. Principals of cluster schools can choose to introduce new subjects like English Literature. They also have the authority to select 10 per cent of students seeking entry into their schools. Cluster schools will also be encouraged to network with foreign educational institutions. Some of these cluster schools already have links with schools overseas. One example is the Malay College Kuala Kangsar, which has links with the Vajiravudh College in Bangkok. Judging by the number of parents who want to enroll their children in these schools, it is a success. Students from cluster schools have been participating in various competitions at national and international levels. Most of these schools have formed links with local and international institutions. Among the links established are with countries like Australia, South Korea, Singapore, China and Thailand. This year, two cluster schools, SK Ulu Lubai and Ba’ Kelalan from Sarawak, won first prize for Best Practices in the recent Commonwealth Convention of Education Ministers. Cluster schools had excelled at the international level by winning medals in tenpin bowling, chess, softball, rhythmic gymnastics and rugby. From the achievements mentioned and for a project that has been undertaken for only two years, I would say that cluster schools are definitely not a failure. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also education minister, announced on Nov 13 that the ministry wanted to have 100 high performance schools by 2012, to increase the pool of dynamic human capital.

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