Child Development

The Group is among the pioneer of education development in Sabah, and its efforts begin at the preschool level. To boost children's (1-12 years old) early education growth in Sabah, the Group through its Child Development Division offers preschool programmes through its nurseries, kindergartens and transition classes besides rural preschools. Currently, the Group has 13 preschool centres throughout the State.

Among the activities conducted under these programmes are tuitions for primary schools as well as support programmes for kindergarten and primary schools.

Since 2000, the Group published children books (words/images) with Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka (in Rumi, Jawi and Arabic translation) and in 2012, a Digital Video Disc (DVD) of collection of children's songs was produced. A guidebook/manual on Setting up a Preschool Centre was also published in 2013 by the Group. In 2024, the group published the "Big Book" and the Preschool Activity Book (KG1 and KG2). The main purpose of publishing these books is to provide reading material for Ria Kindergarten children, in particular, and preschool children, in general.

Scholarships and Study Loans

The Group's efforts in education development are not limited to early childhood education. Since 1968, the Group has provided education sponsorship that includes scholarships and study loans for secondary and higher education, Yayasan Sabah Secondary Scholarship, Peninsular Malaysia Secondary School Scholarship and Sabah/Sarawak Students Exchange Programme.

The Group offers secondary education scholarships to needy students who obtained 5As in the Primary School Achievement Test (UPSR) to further their studies in selected secondary schools in Peninsular Malaysia.

Under the Sabah/Sarawak Exchange Programme, the Group offers scholarships to students from Sarawak to further their secondary studies at selected boarding schools in Sabah with Yayasan Sarawak offering similar sponsorships to students from Sabah to further their secondary education in Sarawak.

Scholarships and study loans are also offered to students based on their academic achievement in continuing their tertiary education on selected fields of study according to the workforce needs of the State. The Sabah State Scholarship Award of Excellence is offered to students who obtained excellent results in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination. This award is an accolade of their success and to spur other students to achieve excellent results in their SPM examination.

Sabah State Education Fund (TPNS)

TPNS is an initiative to enhance the education agenda in Sabah. The education fund aims to assist underprivileged Sabahan students, especially those from B40 households, to pursue tertiary education. It was established as an initiative under the Yayasan Sabah Group Strategic Transformation Plan 2015-2023 to provide more sponsorship opportunities to Sabahans who successfully entered higher learning institutions.

Themed “Sponsorship Opportunities for All”, the sponsorship disbursed to eligible applicants since year 2022.

Career and Counselling Programmes

The programmes are organised yearly through seminars, workshops and camps at various selected centres throughout the State. The target groups are students, teachers, parents and members of the public.

Distinguished speakers from related agencies and leading institutions of higher learning are invited to deliver motivational talks, effective communication, decision-making, and choosing the right field of studies for target groups.

Hostel

Since 1972, the Group has built hostels in various districts throughout the State for rural students to attend schools in urban areas. Presently, there are two district hostels in operation, i.e Yayasan Sabah District Hostel in Keningau and Sipitang. With the improved infrastructures, especially the road system and secondary schools that provide hostels, rural hostels built by the Group were gradually phased out.

To provide accommodation for students from Sabah who are pursuing their studies in the Middle East, the Group has acquired buildings which were converted as hostels in Alexandria and Cairo, Egypt for the convenience of the students studying in the country.

Kolej Teknologi Yayasan Sabah

Kolej Teknologi Yayasan Sabah (KTYS) mission is to contribute and complement the efforts made by the Yayasan Sabah Group in improving the quality of life of the people of Sabah through education and life-long learning.

KTYS's objectives include providing access to high-quality academic Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) education, producing inclusive and competent graduates, and establishing a governance system that is high-quality, efficient, and integrity-based.

Towards this end, smart partnerships are built with relevant industry players, educational and training institutions. On the development of human capital, KTYS is working closely with the government to equip its students with the necessary skills in meeting the job market's requirements.

As such, KTYS has taken a new approach in education by adopting a Competency-Based Training approach by providing the students training and placing them in the job market. The objectives are to produce more skilled workers and meet the demands of the industry.

The certificate programmes offered under the Malaysian Skills Development Programmes are Office Management, Automotive Technology, Building Construction, Welding Technology, Pastry and Culinary Arts, Electrical Technician, and Refrigeration and Air Conditioning.

The diploma programmes offered include Building Technology, Automotive Technology, Electrical Technology, Business Management, and Early Childhood Education, as well as several collaborative programmes with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), such as Technology Management, Accounting, Property Management, and Computer Science. Additionally, KTYS offers a Foundation in Science programme, which results from a collaboration between the Yayasan Sabah Group and Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP). This year, KTYS has introduced a new diploma programme, Diploma in Islamic Studies, which welcomed its first cohort of students in August 2024.

All academic diploma programmes conducted at KTYS are approved and accredited by the Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA), and the certificate skill programmes are conducted with the approval of the Department of Skills Development.

For more information, please visit www.ktys.edu.my and follow KTYS on official social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube @KTYSSabah.

University College Sabah Foundation

As Sabah moves towards becoming a developed state, higher education has become a priority for human talent development. The genesis of the University College Sabah Foundation (UCSF) adds to the success of the Yayasan Sabah Group is expanding its role in education and people’s development. Branded as a "Green University", with its own unique Green Concept and Philosophy, UCSF advocates that future generations must be guided by a better understanding of the complex interconnected issues, challenging us today, to have a stronger commitment towards making sustainability of planet earth reality in their lives, inclusive of Sustainability Development Goals (SDG).

UCSF offers academic and training programmes pertinent to the advancement of the socioeconomic and cultural agendas of Sabah and Malaysia. A total of 17 programmes are offered under its four faculties: Faculty of Management and Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Arts and Creative Media, Faculty of Natural Science and Sustainability, and Faculty of Development and Multicultural Studies. It is also supported by Institute Borneo Studies (IBS), Centre of Language and Generic Development (CLGD), Teaching and Learning Factory (TLF) and Nature Arts Inspiration Gallery (NIAG).

Education at UCSF is exciting, relevant and contemporary. Students are empowered with life-long, life-wide and life deep learning skills of the 21st century; learning and experiencing how to decipher information into meaningful, transformative narratives, engage as altruistic global citizens, be equipped with cross-disciplinary know-how as well as develop into creative and versatile professionals of tomorrow.

UCSF's approach to teaching is contemporary, incorporating blended learning and new forms of experiential learning models to cater to the technology-savvy youth of today. Workshops and training are held, involving institutional and industrial partners as well as professional associates of UCSF.

Strategically located at Sembulan and in the heart of Kota Kinabalu, UCSF offers a modern conducive campus environment with well-equipped study facilities, and a hostel located just beside the main campus.

UCSF aspires to become a boutique institution of higher learning that offers study and research programmes focusing on the sustainability of Sabah’s natural resources, cultural diversity and environment.

For more information, please visit www.ucsf.edu.my or visit our facebook official page at www.facebook.com/ucsfmalaysia