IPOH: The Education Ministry (MoE) will expedite the allocation request for Sekolah Kebangsaan Darau in Kota Kinabalu which reportedly needs repairs to its ageing infrastructure and damaged facilities.
Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said a total of RM140,000 was disbursed last year to the school for improvement purposes, and for this year, the State Education Department (JPN) has submitted a similar request.
“SK Darau was built in the 1940s, and it is in poor condition, and the MOE is aware that it needs attention. We will try our best to expedite the application and disburse the funds promptly,“ he told newsmen after officiating the opening of Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) Sam Chai’s pre-school here today.
Wong was responding to recent media reports about the condition of the ceiling in a classroom at SK Darau, which appeared to be poorly maintained, leading to safety concerns.
According to reports, parents of students in the affected class collected RM1 each to buy a new ceiling fan to ensure the comfort of students during learning sessions because the existing fan was faulty
Wong, who is also Taiping MP, said to address the issue, the affected students were relocated to another classroom to ensure that teaching and learning sessions were conducted in comfortable conditions.
“I believe that Sabah JPN has provided the necessary assistance to the school,” he said.
Separately, Wong hoped the Transport Ministry and other relevant parties will conduct thorough assessments before increasing school bus fares, which is expected to be implemented in the new academic session starting in March.
“What is important for the MOE is that the interests of all parties must be safeguarded, including bus operators and also for low-income families who will feel burdened if school bus fares increase,” he said.
The Federation of School Bus Associations Malaysia has confirmed that school bus fares for the upcoming new academic session in March are expected to increase.
Its president, Amali Munif Rahmat, said among the factors necessitating the fare increase is the high cost of vehicle replacement parts, with over 80 per cent of replacement parts imported from abroad.
He said the fare increase is based on the area and operational costs after the government no longer controls school bus fares since January 2015.–Bernama