KOTA KINABALU: An immediate order has been given to the Education Ministry and the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) of the Prime Minister’s Department to resolve problems faced by primary students of Sekolah Kebangsaan Balaban Jaya in Sabah’s Beluran district.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he was deeply concerned about the situation faced by the students who were forced to sit alongside the corridor of a mosque in a makeshift classroom while waiting for a new school block to be built.
"The comfort and welfare of children in their pursuit of knowledge must be given top priority, and immediate action is mandatory," Anwar said in a Facebook post on Saturday (April 11).
In a statement on the same day, the Education Ministry said they are taking steps to assist the students and their learning environment.
It explained that the current school block is unsafe as it has sustained damage caused by soil movement and slope instability, rendering the school unsafe.
The ministry said that the Sabah Education Department have been conducting discussions with the stakeholders, including parents and the local community, to find solutions.
Among the immediate measures was to temporarily relocate the students to SK Pekan Beluran and provide transportation to bring them to the school.
"This step is to ensure that students’ learning is not disrupted and parents are not burdened," the statement read.
On Friday (April 10), Warisan Likas assemblyman Tham Yun Fook highlighted the plight of the 157 primary pupils of the school who have been forced to have their classes while being exposed to rain and heat.
Tham said that though the Education Ministry has allocated RM2mil for the construction of a permanent school building, it is unlikely to take off in the immediate future.
He said that it is too long a stretch for the pupils and teachers,suggesting a cabin-type classroom as a temporary and quick solution.
