IT was a bittersweet moment for factory worker Rizalman Ibrahim as he bade goodbye to his 13-year-old son, Muhamad Najmiey Farhan Rizalman.

On the one hand, he will miss the boy dearly, but on the other, he has never felt so fortunate to be able to send Najmiey off to boarding school.

Najmiey is one of 4,888 pupils from low-income families (B40) accepted into fully residential government boarding schools this year, under a new policy by the Education Ministry to raise the quota for pupils in this group.

From this year, 60% of students from B40 families – instead of 40% previously – will be given places in government boarding schools. 

Education Minister Maszlee Malik said the new policy was aimed at preventing such schools from being dominated by children from wealthier families. It would also help B40 families break the cycle of poverty.

“It is a good policy. The low-income group could never afford the fees. It is no longer just for the rich to study here,” Rizalman told The Malaysian Insight at Sekolah Berasrama Penuh Integrasi (SBPI) Gombak during registration and admissions of B40 pupils today.

Rizalman, 43, is a Kelantan native now living in Shah Alam. His monthly salary of RM2,000 without overtime, is the sole income for his household of five children. His wife is a full-time housewife.

“I feel fortunate to have my son in a boarding school. I feel sad to have him far away from us, but it will be good for him. Let him make new friends, learn to be independent,” he said.

Najmiey, who said he wanted to be a fireman when he grows up, scored 6As for his Standard Six examinations, or UPSR, at SK Jalan Kebun, Shah Alam.

Academic performance is a key criteria when students from B40 families are considered for acceptance into boarding schools, the ministry’s Fully Residential and Excellent Schools Management Division director Aidie Jantan said.

“We look at their academic performance and not just their household income level. The ministry takes children from the B40 group who have academic potential and who are active in cocurricular activities,” he said at the school today.

This year, 9,350 pupils have been accepted into government boarding schools nationwide. Of this, 52.28%, or 4,888 pupils, are from the B40 group.

This marks an increase of 15.34% from the quota for B40 pupils last year.

SBP Integrasi Gombak principal Norhayati Yusof said the school had 136 places in Form One this year and of this, 78 spots, or 57%, were reserved for B40 pupils.

Last year, the school admitted 120 Form One students; only 13% were from the B40 group, she said.

Besides a conducive environment to study in, families of these pupils need only pay RM1 a day for their meals. 

If they perform well, they are also eligible to receive scholarships and can compete for bursaries from the private sector and government-linked companies.

At first, the ministry’s new policy drew concern from some parents that better-performing students would be pushed out to non-residential schools because of the quota. However, Maszlee has said that this was a non-issue as top performing students would always do well wherever they studied, reiterating that the policy’s aim was to help the B40 group escape the poverty cycle. – January 8, 2019.