GOVT TARGET TO HAVE SINGLE-SESSION SCHOOLS, SAYS DPM

TEMERLOH (Pahang, Malaysia), March 2 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said Tuesday the government's target was to have single-session schools in the country.

However, he said, it had to first look into having more school buildings and more teachers for the purpose.

At the moment, 60 to 70 primary schools were implementing the single session, he told reporters after meeting with teachers of a secondary school, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Kerdau, here.

Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, said the government realised that single sessions would allow for more flexible hours at school instead of requiring the morning session to end by 1pm or 2pm and the afternoon session to end late in the evening, and leaving little or no time for co-curriculum activities on school days.

He also said that the Barisan Nasional government provided huge financial allocations for education.

"This year alone, some RM26 billion has been allocated for operating expenditure and RM6.4 billion for development," he said. (US$1=RM3.05)