YDN Expands Educational Outreach Through Santuni MADANI Programme

NIBONG TEBAL, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- Yayasan Didik Negara (YDN) is expanding its educational outreach to local communities through the Santuni MADANI programme, aimed at strengthening ties between agencies under the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the community, particularly in the areas of education and welfare.

YDN chief executive officer Mohd Nasrul Khairi said the initiative was intended to bring services, information and educational opportunities closer to the public, while ensuring that local communities also benefited from the various initiatives offered by government agencies and strategic partners.

“The programme is part of the MOE's mandate, which has been extended from the ministry level to six agencies under the MADANI Education cluster, including YDN. Each agency has been tasked with implementing the Santuni MADANI programme to reach out to communities and introduce educational initiatives to residents in areas surrounding schools.

“We have planned to organise one dedicated Santuni MADANI YDN programme annually. However, we also carry out other community outreach programmes in collaboration with the MOE,” he said after officiating the Santuni MADANI YDN programme at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tasek, Simpang Ampat, here today.

The programme also featured various activities, including talks for students, an education exhibition and the Jualan Rahmah MADANI, organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN), offering goods at prices lower than the prevailing market rates.

Mohd Nasrul said the programme also placed emphasis on welfare through community outreach visits, during which 10 families living near the school were visited and received contributions in the form of food packs and cash assistance.

He said the contributions were channelled in collaboration with YDN's strategic partners to support families in need, while strengthening ties between educational institutions and the local community.

“The involvement of strategic education partners also provides an opportunity for students, particularly Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) candidates, to learn about further education opportunities after completing their secondary schooling, including those offered by King’s University College, which provides full scholarships and employment opportunities.

“Saito University College has also partnered with YDN to offer SPM holders opportunities to pursue professional certificate and diploma programmes as an alternative pathway to further their studies apart from enrolling in public universities,” he said.

He said such exposure was important to ensure that students were well-informed about the available education pathways and career development opportunities upon completing their schooling.

-- BERNAMA