November 20, 2009 23:31 PM

Rural UPSR Students Get Priority For Full Board Schools

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 20 (Bernama) -- Deputy Education Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said rural students who get 5As in the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) will be given priority for entrance into 58 full-boarding schools throughout the country.

He said of the 48,171 students who got 5As only those best qualified will get admission.

"We will vet the students, we will give priority to rural students, then we will see their participation in co-curriculum activities and their parents' income," Dr Mohd Puad told reporters after officiating the pre-launch of the International Book Fair here Friday.

On Thursday, Director-General of Education Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom said 14,980 rural students got As in all subjects.

He said parents need not worry if their children who got 5As did not get admission into full-boarding schools as there were now controlled schools and cluster excellence schools especially to help excellent students in the Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) and Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) exams.

Dr Mohd Puad said under the 10th Malaysia Plan the government will build 10 full-boarding schools to accomodate the increasing number of excellent students each year.

-- BERNAMA

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