15 March 2021
According to Second Minister for Education Maliki Osman, the Guiding & Empowering students for Affiliation and Resilience to Unlock their Potential (Gear-Up) programme has resulted in improved student attendance and higher confidence and self-esteem levels among participating students.
The programme has benefited more than 6,700 secondary school students to date. The scheme is part of the Ministry of Education’s efforts to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds, along with its Uplift (Uplifting Pupils in Life and Inspiring Families Taskforce) initiatives, to tackle long-term absenteeism and provide support for families.
Besides providing a space for students to study independently, after-school programmes create opportunities for them to interact with their peers through activities like music and sports. Activities can be run by teachers, community partners or volunteers who act as mentors to the students.