KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry is building more hostel complexes to cater to the growing number of undergraduates in the country.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said students enrollment in local universities had increased from 462,780 students in 2010 to 521,793 students in 2012, thus, under the 10th Malaysian Plan, hostel capacity nationwide was increased to house 75,184 students.

“Of that amount, 7,184 units have been completed, 39,000 units are under construction and 29,000 units are still in the discussion stage.

“The new phase, meanwhile, would house 54,000 more students. These projects are built under the Private Financing Scheme,” he said at the National Student’s Consultative Council meeting here today.

Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister added that the ministry and the Economic Planning Unit is analysing the student enrollment in local and private higher learning institutions up to year 2020 to ensure that enough hostel complexes are built to cater to the number of students intake.

“The forecast is important as optimal student enrollment and hostel facilities is closely related. This would also ensure access to quality education facilities in the country.”

On Vision Schools, he said, the government is not planning to increase the number of such schools at the moment.

“The ministry would continue to instill the spirit of togetherness among students of different races by empowering the national schools instead.”

He said the ministry would also add the number of Mandarin and Tamil language teachers in national schools to enable students to learn their mother tongue.

-NST