SIBU: Efforts to restore dilapidated schools in Sarawak will be among the Ministry of Education’s (MoE) main focuses next year.
Deputy Minister Lim Hui Ying said there are a lot of dilapidated schools on a scale of seven in Sarawak.
“Schools with a scale of seven must be demolished and rebuilt. Therefore, this is one of our (government led by) Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and MoE’s priorities as we need to expedite this process.
“We are also addressing the issue of school dropouts in rural areas (as the main focus). We will study how to tackle this situation,” she said at a press conference after her working visit at SMK St Elizabeth here on Tuesday (Oct 3).
In January, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said MoE had identified 455 dilapidated schools, which are on a scale of six, and 113 dilapidated schools, on a scale of seven, in Sarawak.
She said schools rated six and seven refer to those with hazardous building conditions that are unsafe for use.
On Anwar’s remarks regarding MoE continuing to receive the biggest allocation under Budget 2024, to be tabled on Oct 13, she said: “We are indeed very grateful for the allocation. This is crucial because many school need maintenance.”
“Many of our schools are very old, so many things in the schools need maintenance. We want our students to study in a safe and comfortable environment because our students are the future leaders of the country.
“Therefore, we must ensure that the education they receive is the very best,” she added.
