PENGKALAN HULU: The Ministry of Education (MOE) is prepared for fully residential schools (SBP) to have 70 per cent of their students enrolled in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) stream starting next year.

Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the recent proposal by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim aligns with MOE’s ongoing efforts to strengthen STEM education.

“STEM has always been a priority in SBP, and we are continuously enhancing and refining the curriculum. Moving forward, we will place greater emphasis on STEM A (pure sciences) and STEM B (applied sciences), as the choice of pure sciences plays a crucial role in shaping the overall direction of STEM education.

“SBP is already well-aligned with this focus, but we will fine-tune the streaming process to ensure more attention is given to STEM A,” she told reporters at the Education Minister Santuni MADANI Programme in Kampung Kuak Hulu here today.

She was commenting on Anwar’s call on March 12 for 70 per cent of SBP students to pursue STEM studies to strengthen the nation’s expertise in the field.

Meanwhile, Fadhlina said MOE is enhancing cross-ministry collaboration with the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI) to promote STEM education across all schools.

“Currently, STEM enrolment at SBP and Science Secondary Schools stands at over 98 per cent, with only two per cent in the social sciences stream. The rest are in the science stream. We are now refining the streaming process to ensure SBP places greater emphasis on STEM A, which focuses on pure sciences,“ she added.