KGBS welcomes proposed financial package for dilapidated schools

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KUCHING: Sarawak Bumiputera Teachers’ Union (KGBS) welcomes the financial package proposal announced by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamid to speed up the reconstruction and upgrading of dilapidated schools in Sarawak.

Its president Ahmad Malie, said that the problem of dilapidated schools in Sarawak has many times been raised at the Ministry of Education (MOE) level but the action to overcome the problem has been quite slow.

As such, he believed a financial package to be submitted by the federal government and the state government is the best way to solve the problem but he stressed that such proposal and move must come with a timeline.

“The problems affecting Sarawak schools have been going on for so long, and the action so far (from the authorities) have been slow even though special allocation to improve the dilapidated schools has been approved during the tabling of the (federal) budget.

“Hence, KGBS urges the authorities to make sure that appropriate steps and actions are taken, so that the announcements and pledges can be realised,” he said yesterday.

He suggested for a timeline to be given on any promises and announcement so that these can be really implemented and achieve their objectives.

“Otherwise, the promises and announcement stay as promises and announcements, and the people would be left waiting. It is time for every promises and announcements with regards to dilapidated schools to be realised as soon as possible for the benefit and welfare of all parties especially our young generation,” he said.

Zahid, when visiting Sibu on Thursday, said the federal government would continue to put the rebuilding of dilapidated schools in Sarawak on its major agenda for the country.

He had said one of the approaches is for the federal government and the state government to submit a financial package proposal for speeding up the reconstruction and upgrading of the schools.

The proposal would be submitted to the economic council which will hold a meeting early October to be chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

“The state government and the education ministry will submit their proposal on how to upgrade the dilapidated schools,” he was quoted as saying.

Zahid noted that Sarawak has 1,454 schools out of which 1,020 are in dilapidated conditions – 415 in category DS3, 210 in category DS2 and 395 in category DS1.

Schools in category DS3 are those with 75 per cent of their structures needing repair and over 50 years old and schools categorised in DS2 are those that have the capability as a learning centre of less than 50 per cent and are around 40 years old while those classified as DS1 are schools that have a functioning level of 75 per cent.