Students attending a morning session class under one of the six canopies at Sekolah Kebangsaan Pekan Telupid yesterday.
TELUPID: District Education Officer Mahanin Osman said the problem of students attending classes under six canopies at Sekolah Kebangsaan Pekan Telupid will be resolved by next week as repairs to three damaged buildings were expected to be completed.
Mahanin said the canopies which were prepared by the Telupid District Education Office were only for temporary use.
“We thought that the repair work which started a week after school holiday started (early December) would be completed before school reopened this year. I had personally inspected the repairs being carried out and everyone involved had worked very hard to complete the work as soon as possible.
“However, due to certain circumstances, the work was not completed in time. That is why we have prepared the canopies to be used temporarily. The three blocks (Block A, B and C) should be ready to be utilised by next week, God’s willing,” he said.
The roofs, ceilings and floors of the three blocks were seriously damaged by a storm on June 18, last year.
A total of 452 students from morning and afternoon sessions (a total of sixteen classes) are currently utilising six canopies for teaching and learning session since the first day of school on Wednesday.
Mahanin assured parents that the students are safe and under control despite having to study in the open.
Meanwhile, SK Pekan Telupid headmaster, Dominic Nara said that teaching and learning sessions were conducted smoothly.
“Classes were conducted as usual, no problem. The only problems are the weather, and some students may have difficulties hearing the teachers in front; but all these (problems) are temporary. We also have excellent teachers, and students are very eager to learn, so we do not face any major problem because of this.
“The repair work was only initiated in December because we do not want to affect teaching and learning sessions of the students,” he said.
He added that after the storm last year, most students had been attending classes under the canopies, while some students utilised a school building that was built by school staff and Education Department’s personnel with raw material provided by the Education Ministry.