SERIAN, June 10: The proposal of setting up a centralised school in the Serian district cannot be implemented yet due to parents’ objection, said Sarawak Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn.
He informed that if parents do not consent, the low enrolment schools (SKM) cannot be closed to give way for a centralised school to be established.
“If we cannot close SKM, then we cannot build the centralised school. Otherwise, the centralised school will end up becoming SKM too.
“Until we can get parents’ consent to send their children to a centralised school, we cannot implement it yet,” he told the press after his visit to three dilapidated schools in Serian and Sri Aman yesterday (June 9).
In 2019, former Sarawak Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research Dato Sri Michael Manyin proposed a RM350 million centralised school to be built at Kujang Mawang to accommodate pupils from SK Gahat Mawang, SK Kujang Sain, SK Kujang Mawang, and SK Tesu.
The idea of building a centralised school was to facilitate specialised teachers to focus their energy and attention on teaching students Mathematics, Science, and English more efficiently, rather than assigning many teachers to smaller schools.
During Sagah’s work visit, he informed that the Rebuilding and Upgrading of Poor Schools Project for SK Lebur Remun, Serian, which was supposed to be completed in December 2021, has been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and is expected to be completed by the end of August 2022.
On the other two schools, he said SK Aping would require electrical and water connections, while SK Daha needs electrical connections and repairs.
Also present were Bukit Semuja assemblyman John Ilus, Tebedu assemblyman Dr Simon Sinang Bada, and political secretary to the Premier Damen Rejek. — DayakDaily
