KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Education (MOE) has announced 300 new scholarships for high-achieving 2024 Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) students to pursue education programmes at local public universities.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek stated that the initiative aims to attract STPM graduates to the teaching profession while strengthening their academic progression. “We are focused on supporting talented students with excellent STPM results who wish to study education,” she said during the 2024 STPM Outstanding Student Award Ceremony organised by the Malaysian Examinations Council (MEC).
The move aligns with efforts to enhance the national education system by ensuring dedicated individuals join the sector. For the first time, STPM graduates can now enrol in the Bachelor of Education programme at Institutes of Teacher Education (IPG), previously exclusive to Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) leavers.
Fadhlina added that Form Six teachers will also benefit from training programmes under a corporate social responsibility initiative, improving teaching quality. She also endorsed MEC’s new “patching” system, allowing students to retake STPM exams within the same year for better results.
MEC chairman Prof Datuk Dr Md Amin Md Taff revealed the 2024 STPM national Cumulative Grade Point Average rose to 2.85, a slight improvement from 2023.