Friday February 11, 2011
PUTRAJAYA: A total of 924 school heads have been shortlisted to receive the “New Deals” cash incentives promised under the Government Transformation Programme (GTP).
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said school heads who had improved their schools above expectations would be given RM7,500 each.
“Additionally, 5% of the top teachers from these schools will receive RM1,800, while the remaining teachers will receive RM900 each.
“We initially projected that 2% of headmasters and principals would exceed the target set last year, but 12% of them have proven to be exceptional.
“The list of school heads and teachers who will receive the ‘New Deals’ will be finalised by the middle of this year, maybe after the SPM results are announced,” he said.
Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said this during his New Year address to ministry staff at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) here yesterday.
He added that a 14-member committee had been appointed to review the History syllabus for schools.
“The committee is made up of history experts, academics and representatives from various organisations.
“We want to engage the relevant stakeholders in improving the syllabus so that students will learn about other civilisations,” he told reporters after the event.
Muhyiddin announced last year that History would be a “must-pass” subject in the SPM from 2013.
Many quarters expressed worries about the move as they said existing textbooks on the subject offered an “imbalanced” account of the country’s past.