KOTA KINABALU: Seven schools with a total of 908 students in three Sabah districts were closed following floods and landslides.
State Education Department director Datuk Raisin Saidin said the schools in Beaufort, Tenom and Kota Kinabalu could not open due to safety concerns and damage to school facilities.
In Beaufort, five schools – SK Bangkalalak, SK Garama, SK Jabang, SK Lago and SK Suasa – were affected, involving 364 students.
In the interior district of Tenom, a landslide at SK Simpang with 60 pupils forced the temporary closure of the school following advice from the Public Works Department.
In Kota Kinabalu, SK Rampayan Menggatal, which has 484 students, was also closed after flooding to allow for cleaning works and the replacement of damaged furniture.
Raisin said the affected schools were given two options to ensure continuity of learning: to implement home-based teaching and learning (PdPR), or to conduct replacement classes on Saturdays, depending on each school’s suitability and readiness.
“The department is committed to ensuring students’ access to education is not disrupted despite the natural disaster.
“We will monitor the situation from time to time and update parents and the school community,” he said after visiting SMK Trus Madi in Keningau, about 100km from here, on the first day of school yesterday.
As weather conditions improved across Sabah, Beaufort remained the only district still affected by flooding, with 366 people of 138 families from 10 villages seeking shelters at two relief centres as of 8am yesterday, according to the state disaster management committee.
It added that the situation remained under control but advised residents to stay vigilant and comply with any evacuation orders should conditions worsen.
The public was also urged to verify information through official channels to avoid the spread of inaccurate reports.
In Sarawak, 28 schools remained closed on the first day of the new school year due to flooding, with students required to undergo PdPR.
Five schools in Tatau and 13 in Sebauh were reported to be the most severely affected, with floodwaters reaching as high as 4m.
Sarawak Education Department director Omar Mahli said 26 schools had initially informed the department on Sunday of their inability to open, with two more added following last-minute notifications.
Speaking to reporters during the opening of the 2026 school session at SMK Petra Jaya in Kuching, Omar said the first week usually focuses on orientation and fun learning activities, making PdPR suitable.
No damage reports had been received from the affected schools so far, he added.
As a precaution, schools had earlier been advised to place assets and important equipment at higher locations to minimise damage should flooding persist.
