SINGAPORE – Johor has ramped up efforts to make the state’s education system more competitive and progressive, with special emphasis on the teaching of  science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem) and the English language.

The pioneer group, comprising primary and secondary school teachers, university lecturers and state education officials, travelled daily from Johor’s Iskandar Puteri city to NIE for the sessions, marking the first time NIE has hosted a course for Malaysian educators at its Singapore campus near Boon Lay.

Top Johor education official Aznan Tamin announced in February that four government schools in Johor Bahru would be involved in the project, which would affect 4,300 students and 212 teachers, and will be reviewed every six months.

“The students from these schools will complete a minimum of 112 hours annually in Stem subjects, nearly double the 64-hour requirement in mainstream schools,” Mr Aznan said, adding that these schools’ facilities such as computer and science labs will be upgraded and equipped with the latest technology.

English proficiency and higher standards of assessments will also be introduced, with the aim of 100 per cent of students progressing to higher education, he said in a separate statement in March.

Johor produces 20,000 secondary school graduates yearly, according to industry experts. But a good number of these students skipped the national SPM (equivalent to Singapore’s O-level) exam – more than 900 students did so in the most recent exam, with some taking up jobs in Singapore instead, the local media reported. Mr Aznan said these students preferred taking up jobs in Singapore, even if they were low-skilled positions, as the pay was lucrative.

In May 2024, Tunku Ismail told the state assembly that “quality education opens more opportunities for future generations”, ref...