The K11 school programme will expand to three new Orang Asli schools next year to boost student retention, with dropout rates already falling.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Education will extend its Comprehensive Special Model School 11 (K11) Programme to three additional Orang Asli schools next year.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the initiative aims to further reduce student dropout rates.
The programme, which provides 11 continuous years of education from Year One to Form Five, will be implemented at SK Jernang in Sungkai, Perak; SK Satak in Raub, Pahang; and SK Datuk Undang Abdullah in Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan.
It is currently running in five schools across Perak, Selangor, Pahang and Sarawak.
Fadhlina said the model considers the educational needs, environmental context, and cultural inclusiveness of the Orang Asli community.
“As of November 2025, the transition rate of Orang Asli students from Year Six to Form One has increased from 89% in 2023 to 94.70%,” she told the Dewan Negara.
She was responding to a question on plans for a culturally relevant and inclusive community school model.
To help teachers adapt, the Institute of Teacher Education (IPG) Tengku Ampuan Afzan Campus in Kuala Lipis has been designated a centre of excellence for Orang Asli pedagogy.
A special recruitment route for Orang Asli teachers has also increased their numbers to 538 nationwide.
Other initiatives include the Jom Belajar Programme, which has persuaded 299 Orang Asli children to attend school this year.
The Special Humane Education Programme (ProKhas) uses mobile teaching, such as the Tasik Banding Floating School in Gerik, which operates from houseboats.
Five ProKhas models are running in Perak, Kelantan and Sabah, involving 246 students.
The ministry plans to expand ProKhas to nearly 200 Penan children in Sarawak’s Belaga District in 2026 through a Penan-led “Mobile School Programme”.
Community support is also bolstered by the Orang Asli and Peribumi Parents Adult Class Programme (KEDAP), which involved 2,048 parents in 84 schools this year. – Bernama
