KOTA KINABALU: Four schools in Sabah will benefit from SP Foundation’s Newspaper-In-Education (NIE) programme launched yesterday to boost English language proficiency among students.Starting January next year, SMK Bandaraya (Kota Kinabalu), SMK Badin (Tuaran), SMK Majakir (Papar) and SMK Putatan (Penampang) will be receiving copies of the largest English daily in Borneo, The Borneo Post, once a week for three months.

At the launch at SMK Bandaraya here, SP Setia Foundation chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye presented a mock cheque for RM20,000 to the NIE programme committee for the programme.

Lee said this is an extension to the programme which had been long introduced in the peninsula, where New Straits Times newspaper was distributed in an effort to improve the reading, spelling and writing abilities of students in addition to imparting general  knowledge   to    them.

“The committee will assess the project to what extent it has benefited (the students), and then we are prepared to consider expanding it to other schools in Sabah,” he told reporters.

Lee in his speech said the fastest and easiest way to learn a language was through newspaper reading, and English was one of the most important languages and an asset when facing globalisation.

Twenty-four teachers will also be attending a special NIE workshop at The Borneo Post offfice today to ensure that the programme is well implemented. — Bernama