THE first of the Sarawak government’s planned five international schools could start taking in students in 2021, said Michael Manyin.

The state Education, Science and Technological Research Minister said the first school, which will be operated by a company called Sanjung Sdn Bhd, will be built at Mile 12 of the Kuching-Serian Road – adjacent to the state agriculture research institute.

Sanjung is wholly-owned by the government-linked Sarawak Foundation.

Kuching will have two such schools with the major towns of Miri, Sibu, and Bintulu having one each.

Manyin said the other school in Kuching will be located in the Samarahan division, adjacent to the Sarawak Heart Centre.

Speaking to reporters after signing research agreements with the Cambridge and Curtin universities in Kuching today, he said each school will cost about RM60 million to build.

“The sites have been approved by the cabinet. We hope to start building next year and have the first intake in 2021.”

He said the schools would not be built simultaneously, but construction will be spaced out over the next three or four years.

The state government plans to place its brightest “poor” students from rural areas and underprivileged families in the schools, which will only have four classes and a total student population of 100 per school.

The school syllabus is designed to prepare the students for the International General Certificate of Secondary Education examination (IGCSE) developed by University of Cambridge International Examinations.

The IGCSE is an English language-based examination.

Manyin said officials from his ministry had discussions with Cambridge International in February on having the examination for the school.

All schools will have hostels, to cater to students who are mostly from rural areas.

The ministry now aims to complete all the paperwork relating to the licences of the schools, setting up Sanjung and transferring all five sites to the company. – December 6, 2019.