‘Keep schools in shape’

Urgent need for change: A dilapidated classroom such as this is not conducive for learning and needs overall refurbishment.

PETALING JAYA: There is a serious need to upgrade school infrastructure and facilities to reflect the education standards that the country wants to achieve, say teachers.

They hope that Budget 2023, which will be tabled on Friday, will include allocations for this, as well as to improve the welfare of students and teachers.

Nik Mohd Fauzan Nik Abdullah, a secondary school teacher in Lahad Datu, Sabah, said he hoped the government would prioritise upgrading school infrastructure in the state to accommodate the number of students there.

“Many secondary schools in Sabah have a large number of students, especially in rural areas,” he said.

The school where he works has almost 1,200 students, but its infrastructure is not able to accommodate that many students.

“We have to use laboratories and other special rooms for classes,” said Nik Mohd Fauzan, 31.

He added that the school did not have any hall to accommodate exams such as Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM).

“We even need to ask the lower form students to take leave in order to use their classes for the SPM exam.

“Because of this, it is difficult to have additional classes,” he added.

The government, said Nik Mohd Fauzan, must also upgrade digital facilities in rural schools.

He also hopes to see allocations to improve teachers’ quarters, in addition to reviewing the dormitory warden’s allowances and housing allowances for all civil servants.

“For students, I hope the government will consider increasing the rate of early school assistance for students, especially those in the B40 group,” he said, adding that there should also be bus transportation made available to students in rural areas.

A teacher in Pahang, who only wanted to be known as Saiful, said he hoped the government would upgrade school facilities, regardless of their location.

“We are supposed to have 21st century learning, but our facilities do not reflect this.

“There is no LCD, no projector nor Internet – and the computers are seemingly from the age of dinosaurs.

“These facilities need to be upgraded.

“Schools in urban areas may not face this problem, but have a look at rural schools,” he said.

A teacher in the Klang Valley, who only wanted to be known as Farah, said she hoped the government would consider improving school libraries.

“The library is where the students learn, but it does not receive any funding.

“For our schools, we teachers are even asking for donations to upgrade our library, from changing the cement floor to mosaic, upgrading the air-conditioners, changing tables and chairs, and buying books.

“The Per Capita Grant Assistance (PCG) is RM10,000 a year, but we have many programmes and exhibitions; it’s not enough.”

Farah added that she hoped the allowance for SPM invigilators could be revised.

“There are many teachers who don’t even have rest days for the whole month.

“Teachers also work on Saturdays and Sundays, and the majority are still on their laptops at 10pm-11pm,” she added.

For students, Farah hoped that there would be allocations for school uniforms.

“The students get RM150 cash aid, but sometimes it doesn’t reach students or they don’t know where it is spent.

“I hope that for certain groups of people, whose parents’ salary is below RM3,000 or RM4,000, they can get uniforms for free twice a year.

“It’s sad to see the students wearing yellowish and worn-out shirts that are too small for them, which may be hand-me-downs from an elder sibling,” she added.

In January, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said she hoped that there would be an additional allocation for the education sector in Budget 2023 for the management and maintenance of schools, especially the dilapidated ones.

“This is to ensure that there are no marginalised schools, not only in Peninsular Malaysia but also in Sabah and Sarawak,” she said.