PASIR MAS: The Education Ministry will introduce new standard operating procedures (SOPs) for managing schools at risk of flooding, beginning next year.
MOE secretary-general Datuk Ruji Ubi explained that the new SOPs would focus on relocating essential areas, such as teachers' rooms, laboratories, and textbook storage rooms, to higher floors of schools, to protect them from flood damage.
He also highlighted that classrooms on lower floors would be outfitted with flood-resistant materials, such as plastic, to minimise the damage in the event of a flood disaster.
"From my visits to flood-affected schools, I realised that we need to plan ahead. The new SOPs will help reduce the repair and replacement costs following such disasters," he said.
"During my visit to Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Meranti on Thursday (Dec 12), I discovered that the teachers' rooms were completely destroyed, and the replacement cost could reach tens of thousands. Our goal is to reduce these costs by implementing these measures. I will present this proposal to the ministry for broader application to all schools at risk of flooding," he added.
He said this to reporters after visiting SMK Meranti, accompanied by Kelantan Education Department director Datuk Mohd Zamri Abdul Aziz.
Previously, media reports highlighted that SMK Meranti, located nearly 3km from the Sungai Golok basin, was one of the schools in Kelantan severely impacted by the first wave of floods at the end of last month.
In a related development, Ruji said that the state education department, district education offices, and the principals of affected schools have been instructed to submit immediate reports on the extent of the damage, and losses incurred.
"We aim to ensure that the teaching and learning process is not disrupted by the floods. We have asked the district education offices and the state education department to expedite procurement processes to address the damage," he explained.
"We are equipped with facilities for emergency procurement, including construction work and the purchase of necessary equipment. We are prioritising the procurement of equipment, which we expect to be completed by the end of January at the latest," he added. - Bernama
