KUCHING, March 2: Bukit Saban assemblyman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas asserts that it is necessary to build rural schools with sufficient supplies and teachers to ensure that the quality of education in rural areas is equivalent to that in urban areas.
Uggah, who is also the Deputy Premier of Sarawak, told reporters this after witnessing the handover of SK Nanga Gayau from Public Works Department (JKR) Sarawak to the Betong District Education Office in Betong today, which was successfully rehabilitated using the RM1 billion fund for dilapidated schools.
“We also hope that similar school rehabilitation projects can be implemented elsewhere in the Betong area.
“As far as I am aware, SK Spaoh and SK Paku Central are two additional schools in Betong that need to be upgraded. So too SK Penom, but we may have other plans for that school,” he said, according to a statement.
He revealed SK Nanga Gayau has a new look as a result of the school rehabilitation project supervised by JKR Sarawak, and that the newly renovated school will therefore inspire both children and their parents.
Furthermore, Uggah stated that the goal is to have a central school equipped with cutting-edge technology.
“I will discuss with the Education Department the possibility of constructing a centralised school in Bukit Saban similar to SK Nanga Ajau near Simpang Layar.
“The majority of small schools have been closed, and their students have been absorbed by larger schools, allowing the economies of scale to increase. As a result, that is the path we are taking, and I will consult with the Education Department about schools in Bukit Saban,” he added. — DayakDaily
