All schools in the district have been compelled to hold a mass prayer before the students go home.

District education officer Mohd Razali Mustafar said this was because prayer was one of the key elements in character building, especially among schoolchildren, in a bid to strengthen their personality and to prevent them from getting involved in social problems.

“In striving towards excellence, we are focusing on five main elements, namely character building, information and communication technology, English proficiency, middle leader (teachers) and smart multiplication.

“As such, each school must hold a mass prayer at any suitable area in the school compound,” he said when opening the Academic Excellence Award Day at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Bukit Goh in Kuantan.

Mohd Razali said he targetted 10 percent of Muslim male students in the district to be able to recite the Quran, become an imam and even lead a doa selamat and tahlil prayers.

- Bernama