KUCHING , Nov 8 — The Sarawak government is in discussion with the federal government to regain full autonomy in education, said Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.

He said a stable education policy coupled with good facilities can improve the educational performance of children in the state.

"With full autonomy in education, Sarawak will be able to coordinate education to local needs, plan innovative programmes, and provide wider opportunities for the growth of knowledge to the young generation of Sarawak.

"This is an important step to ensure that our children receive the best education for a bright future,” he said at the 27th Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) Convocation Ceremony at Unimas in Kota Samarahan yesterday.

Uggah, who is the university’s pro chancellor, said the Sarawak government is committed to realising the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, where one of the important variables is education and human capital development.

"Thus, in order to achieve the target, the state government has planned to offer free education through scholarships at Sarawak government-owned universities and higher education centres by 2026.

"This does not apply only to university and higher education levels, as the focus on first-class human capital development will also commence at the initial level of schooling,” he said.

He pointed out that to achieve the aspirations of PCDS 2030, it is clear that Sarawak requires a large number of highly skilled professionals.

"Sarawak needs a total of 500 experts in the fields of engineering, mathematics, computer science and software engineering to produce more skilled workers to realise the state government’s desire to achieve the state of a developed state by 2030,” he said.

Uggah said with a highly trained and skilled workforce, Sarawak will have human resources that can drive economic growth, innovation, and sustainable state development.

"I believe, through investment in education and skill development, Sarawak is building a foundation for a brighter future.

"Therefore, I hope that Unimas can play an important role in ensuring that these aspirations and dreams can be achieved, especially through contributions in the field of education and research,” he said. — Borneo Post Online