Bandar Seri Begawan - The Ministry of Religious Affairs has taken serious steps to make sure that religious education is compulsory to all Muslim children in the country.

Among the steps is to revise the Religious Education Order the guidelines for which are being looked into by the Attorney General's Chambers. The Minister of Religious affairs YB Pehin Jawatan Luar Pekerma Raja Dato Seri Utama Dr Ustaz Hj Md Zain bin Hj Serudin yesterday responded to His Majesty's titah on making religious education compulsory during the sixth Legislative Council Meeting.

The minister revealed that the Ministry of Religious Affairs has conducted a research to find out the number of children who did not go to religious schools and have not completed religious education in 2009.

"From the research, there are an estimated 41,715 Muslim students nationwide who studied from Year 2 to Year 8 last year in government and private schools. "Of that figure, some 712 students or 1.71 per cent did not have to religious school. And 1,095 students or 2.62 per cent did not finish their religious education.

The parents of the students who did not go to religious school have been contacted and as a result 209 have resumed their religious studies in religious schools near their homes from May and June 2009. "Students who will be entering pre religious class 2010 number 5,300 children who were in Year 1 in 2009. From the number of applications received, 4,960 students have registered to enter religious school for year 2010.

As many as 340 students have yet to register and their parents have been contacted and advised," he highlighted. "As a result, on January 13, 2010, the number of students who registered to enter religious school for pre religious class stood at 5,695 comprising 5,590 Muslim and 105 non Muslim students.

"Compared to 39, 902 students last year, as of January 31, 2010, 41,006 students have registered an increase of 1,104 students."To fulfil the requirement of compulsory religious education in the country, 35 religious teachers are needed," he added. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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