Education Ministry receives highest allocation of RM52.6 billion

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 -- The Ministry of Education (MOE) continues to receive the largest allocation of RM52.6 billion or 16 per cent of the total estimated federal expenditure.

Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said for 2022, the government had agreed to provide early schooling assistance of RM150, higher than the RM100 that was given previously, to help parents with preparations for their children’s schooling.

He said a total of RM450 million was allocated for the purpose which was expected to benefit three million eligible students.

“There is nothing more exciting for children than going back to school and meeting their friends face to face. At the beginning of each year, of course, parents are the busiest in preparing their children's schooling needs," he said when tabling the 2022 Budget in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Tengku Zafrul said in appreciation of the services of teachers for providing additional teaching materials to students during the implementation of home-based teaching and learning (PDPR), the government will provide a RM100 one-off special incentive for teaching aids to over 400,000 teachers.

Tengku Zafrul said a total of RM1 billion was provided for school maintenance and repair work, including RM140 million to the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) to maintain, among others, registered tahfiz schools, rakyat religious schools and pondok institutions, an increase from RM100 million allocated this year.

"The maintenance allocation to more than 10,000 schools under the MOE will be distributed according to the type of school based on a uniform rate," he said.

He added that RM120 million was provided for the benefit of 1,800 Chinese National Type Schools as well as Tamil National Type Schools.

In addition, the government will continue to upgrade poor schools with the allocation increased to RM746 million and the majority of the allocation will be for 112 projects in Sabah and 165 projects in Sarawak.

To empower the special education agenda, the government is providing RM50 million to purchase teaching equipment and improve the facilities at the special education schools.

In addition, RM400 million is allocated for the provision of daily milk supply under the Supplementary Meal Plan.