By Jacob Achoi
SERIAN, Oct 14: Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Research will not proceed with the centralised school concept.
Its minister Datuk Amar Michael Manyin Jawong said this was because of objection from parents.
“At the moment, the idea for centralised primary schools to reduce the number of schools with less pupils (Sekolah Kurang Murid -SKM) will not proceed because parents are not buying to the idea, Manyin told reporters today.
He had earlier officiated at the Education 2020 Leadership Colloquium for Serian district at Roxy Hotel, here.
Manyin said there are 651 SKM schools throughout the state with eight or 10 pupils.
He pointed out that his Ministry has come up with the idea of centralised schools for several reasons, among them to reduce cost.
“For us (Ministry) to come up with centralised schools will reduce cost, good for the school children because there will be competition and better facilities.
” But parents don’t buy the idea, so we cannot proceed,” Manyin stressed.
He added that the objection was related after all the elected representatives met with the parents from their respective areas.
“Before we proceed with the idea of centralised school, we had total engagement with all the elected representatives to get feedback from their respective areas and we received objections from the parents.
” So we cannot do anything (to proceed with centralised school),” Manyin asserted.
He also told reporters that all the six secondary schools in Serian -SMK Serian, SMK Taiee, SMK Tebakang, SMK Tebedu SMK Tarat and SMK Balai Ringin- will be provided with digital board.
He said he will allocate his Minor Rural Project (MRP) grant for the facility that can also be used by all the 23 primary schools in the area.
He did not mentioned when the digital boards will be given, but added that it will cost about RM60, 000. — DayakDaily
