GOMBAK: The installation of school lockers for Year One and Two pupils will be completed by the end of October, says Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin.
The Education Minister said the first phase of the school locker initiative will benefit 626 double-session schools nationwide with the installation of 249,646 lockers.
"We will complete the installation of all lockers (in the first phase) by the end of this month," he told reporters after the handover of lockers at SK Gombak Setia here on Wednesday (Oct 5).
He added that RM37.3mil has been set aside for the school locker initiative.
The second phase of the initiative will commence next year, which will see the provision of lockers extended to Years Four, Five and Six pupils in selected schools.
On March 6, Radzi said the ministry will be providing lockers in primary schools as one of the seven approaches to address the heavy school bags issue.
Other measures taken to solve the issue of heavy school bags include the reorganisation of timetables to only three to four subjects a day and giving schools the flexibility to provide a timetable according to a weekly rotational system.
Radzi said the weekly timetable rotational system will be able to lessen the number of textbooks and activity books brought by students to school daily.
On this matter, he said the ministry will monitor schools and teachers to ensure that these measures are adhered to.
On a separate matter, Radzi said he is confident that teachers will perform their duties well.
Commenting on the civil cases against an English-language teacher in Sabah over absenteeism, he said the ministry has a disciplinary body that will take the necessary action against truant teachers.
"However, I am confident that teachers will be disciplined in carrying out their duties," he said.
Also present at the event were International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin and Gombak Setia assemblyman Muhammad Hilman Idham.
