The Ministry of Education will consider the recommendations of the Prisons Department to create more courses based on Technical Education and Vocational Training (TVET) in Integrity and Henry Gurney schools nationwide.

Deputy Education Minister Datuk P. Kamalanathan said a variety of factors would also need to be taken into account, especially the financial constraints faced by the Education and Home ministries.

He said, however, the goal was not impossible to be realised with the cooperation of private companies such as industry players or colleges through public-private partnerships.

"TVET is important because there are students in Integrity and Henry Gurney schools who are less interested in the academic field, so skills is a great way for us to help them for when they get out of here.

"We understand there are financial constraints, but in the ninth shift of the Malaysian Education Blueprint, we encourage public-private partnership, and this would help create more TVET courses," he told reporters after his visit to attend the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) Excellence Award for Integrity and Henry Gurney Schools here, today.

Earlier, he presented awards and certificates of excellence to students who performed well in their SPM examinations last year.

Also present were Prisons (Safety and Correctional) deputy director-general Datuk Alzafry Mohamed Alnassif Mohamed Adahan and State Education, Higher Education, Science and Technology, Green Technology and Innovation deputy chairman Datuk Md Rawi Mahmud.

Elaborating, Kamalanathan said a discussion involving his ministry, Prisons Department, Integrity and Henry Gurney schools would take place in the near future to refine measures to create more TVET courses in the two types of schools.

He said it would also take into account the type of courses and necessary requirements, so that it could benefit the students.

-- BERNAMA