Allocations for schools based on needs and priorities, says Fadhlina

KUALA NERUS: The allocation distributed to a school is based on their specific needs and priorities, says Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek.

She said that this refutes claims by certain quarters that the government provides a larger allocation to Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (SJK) than to Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK).

"It’s untrue. Each school has its own needs and priorities. Allocation for both maintenance and development should be needs-based.

"If SJKC (Chinese national-type primary schools) requires (a certain amount), we will look at it. The same applies to SK or SJKT (Tamil national-type primary schools),” she told reporters after officiating the national-level MADANI Scout Jamboree 2024 at the Tengku Muhammad Ismail Scouts camp here on Saturday (Aug 10).

Fadhlina then said that her ministry will be fair to all schools, as she believes that allocation is fundamental for ensuring that students receive the best access to education.

In a separate development, Fadhlina urged all schools to enhance security measures to protect both staff and students from external threats.

"Ensuring school safety is indeed our top priority. Schools must be safe for everyone...I believe that school security measures, whether through security guards or school administration should be enhanced,” she said.

She said this in response to an incident on Friday (Aug 9), where the headmistress of a religious school in Kelana Jaya, Selangor, and another woman were injured in an attack by a man armed with a knife in the school’s toilet.

Fadhlina added that the ministry is closely monitoring the situation to ensure that such an incident does not recur.

In the meantime, she urged parents to keep close watch on their children and their activities following the incident involving a 14-year-old girl who impersonated a staff member at Hospital Sultan Idris Shah (HSIS) last Thursday.

"We were shocked by the incident. The investigation is ongoing, and those involved, including the parents, must take full responsibility. I believe such incidents could be prevented with stricter monitoring by parents,” she said. - Bernama