Jempol:Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Jempol is set to become Malaysia's first religious-stream school offering Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek announced that the school is being constructed at a cost of RM98 million on a 14.22-hectare site. The construction, which falls under the 12th Malaysia Plan, is expected to take three years.

Fadhlina emphasized that TVET has traditionally been offered only at vocational colleges or regular schools. The introduction of TVET at SMKA Jempol marks the first time this model is being adopted by a religious school in the country. She expressed hope that the project would be completed on time to meet both industrial and national needs.

The fully residential school will feature an administration block, an academic block with 25 classrooms, laboratories, workshops, a library, hall, canteen, prayer hall, and a hostel accommodating 720 students.

Fadhlina also highlighted the importance of language mastery for religious school students to strengthen the dakwah agenda. She cited SMKA Sheikh Tahir Jalaluddin in Penang, Malaysia's first 'dakwah school', where students learn multiple languages including Chinese, Tamil, English, Arabic, and Malay.

The minister stressed that education should encompass character development, trustworthiness, and integrity, alongside academic achievement. She advocated for teaching students to reject corruption and foster clean leadership, with programmes like Nadwah Kepimpinan Islam designed to produce future leaders with strong religious values.

Fadhlina concluded that developing religious education institutions involves not only building infrastructure but also instilling human values in students to create a principled generation.