SAPP: Sabah Schools still awaiting share of RM30 million
TAWAU (Dec 7, 2008); A total of 83 Chinese schools and educators in Sabah were disappointed at being kept waiting for their share of the
special allocation of RM30 million for Government sponsored Chinese
schools as well as mission shcools in the State.
The allocation form the Prime Minister's Department was given to
schools in West malaysia and Sarawak before March this year, according to
Tawau Member of Parliament Datuk Dr Chua Soon Bui.
She said many educators has raised the matter but no answer was given.
"While we welcome the special fund totalling RM200 million from the
Ministry of Education, we hope that a special attention could be given to
Chinese and mission schools in Sabah in the aspect of repair and
devlopment," she said during the parliament sittin recently.
"Some 30 percent of CHinese schools located in th erural areas required
immediate repair to their structures," she said, adding that many of them
had applied for the assistance.
"I also would like to know the criteria used by the Ministry in
distributing the RM200 million fund to projects."
"There is a mission school in Tawau which is St. Ursula Secondary
School, Two blocks of building there is now being infested with termites.
"I hope that the Ministry of Education can speed up the assistance to
the school before any untoward incident occurs." Chua said there is also
SK Balung at Cocos village which has been adopted by the MInister of
Education himself at that time, but where eight wooden classrooms in a
building were being infested with termites.
"It has made many request to the Tawau Education Office but no action
was taken," she claimed.
"I wish to urge the Ministry of Education to take imediate steps before
any incident or injury could take place." Chua also said there are still a
large number of rural schools without electricity in Sabah.
"What is the plan of the Ministry to ensure that such schools are given
electricity and the time frame needed for the implementation?" she asked.
Under the detail of 01300 which is the Special Education, I wish to
obtain explanation from the Ministry over the SK Bandar II. Special
education in Tawau had been left behind by some ten years in the aspect of
development, she said.
"Classrooms are too small and overcrowded. There are no facilities such
as playing fields and equipment and there is a shortage of qualified
teachers.
"I urge the Ministry to set up more classrooms for such education, as
well as playing fields and suitable equipment for teachers use." |