Sekolahku simplifies information search

PARENTS can now access information on more than 10,000 schools nationwide, including enrolment vacancies and overcrowding, through a centralised portal called SekolahKu.

Developed by GovTech Malaysia under the Digital Ministry, in collaboration with the Education Ministry, the portal allows users to search for schools by location and view their profiles, statistics and other information.

Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said previously parents had to visit individual school websites or refer to various sources for information.

"That becomes a problem because we have to refer to existing portals one by one," he said at the portal's handover ceremony at SK Damansara Utama yesterday.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek said the portal addressed common concerns among parents, including vacancies and overcrowding.

She said parents could also check whether schools offered the Dual Language Programme.

Fadhlina also called on district and state education offices to make full use of the portal so that parents could benefit from the information available.

Gobind said the portal featured information on teachers, former pupils and learning resources.

He added that the centralised system would reduce costs as schools would not have to develop their own platforms.

"Without coordination, we risk creating overlapping systems, inconsistent user experiences and less efficient use of government resources.

"If we take an integrated approach, the money that would otherwise be spent on separate projects can be channelled towards other needs in schools."

He said GovTech Malaysia adopted a whole-of-government approach to encourage ministries and agencies to share expertise and avoid duplicating digital systems.

The portal was handed over to the Education Ministry, which will be responsible for keeping its information up to date.

"This handover is important because sustainable digital transformation requires clear ownership. Technology is not the end goal of digital transformation. The people are the goal," said Gobind.

At the same event, Fadhlina also announced an allocation of RM50,000 to support SK Damansara's improvements and development.