SIBU: The Ministry of Education (MOE) would re-study their proposal to cut the use of generator sets given to rural schools in the state from 24 hours to 14.5 hours.
GOING TO THE GROUND: Dr Puad (centre) with Aaron and Gramong (right) at a press conference.
Deputy Education Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said they would discuss the matter again before making any decision.
He visited 12 primary schools in Kanowit during his three-day working visit to the parliamentary constituency from Feb 20.
The schools were Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) Chih Mong, Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Saint Francis Xavier, SJKC Liang Hua, SK Batu Luking, SK Nanga Sengayan, SK Rantau Dilang, SK Nanga Poi, SK Ulu Poi, SK Nanga Menalun, SK Nanga Nirok, SK Nanga Jagau and SK Ulu Machan.
“All the schools requested the ministry not to implement the 14.5-hour generator set operation,” he told a press conference at Sibu Airport here yesterday.
Dr Puad said all the schools agreed that if the new operation hours took place, it would disturb the teaching and learning process.
“Besides, I was told by all the headmasters that perishable school rations will be spoilt in huge quantities if the power supply is shortened,” he said.
He said it would make teaching in rural areas more challenging for teachers as they need electricity to surf the Internet for their teaching preparation as well as for their comfort.
Thus, such factor could dampen their spirit, Dr Puad said.
According to him, the government had spent RM1.05 billion for electricity supply to 429 schools in the state.
The ministry had earlier agreed to the new operation hours for generator sets in rural schools which would be effective from March 1 this year, he said.
He said it was a way to reduce government’s expenditure on diesel. Dr Puad did not reveal the amount.
He also assured teachers that the problem of poor condition of their quarters would be given due attention by the ministry.
On ‘Program Pensiswazahan Guru’ (Teachers Graduating Programme) he said they targeted to have 60,000 teachers graduated through the programme by 2015.
On ‘Rancangan Makanan Tambahan’ (Additional Food Programme) he said some 690,000 pupils nationwide were selected for the programme which involved a cost of RM245 million.
Dr Puad was accompanied by Kanowit MP Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang, Machan assemblyman Datuk Gramong Juna and Kanowit district education officer Malsiah Jamal during his visit.
On Sunday, he launched one ‘rumah arau’ (a temporary shelter for mothers to wait for their pre-school children at rural schools) at SK Nanga Embuau in Song.