66-year-old SK Sukau in need of new building

KINABATANGAN: Sukau is nestled in the midst of Sabah’s magnificent rainforest and is among the state’s top tourist destinations, but its 66-year-old primary school that stands in the village is in a state of disrepair.

Part of the Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Sukau’s 433 pupils are housed in a dilapidated wooden building and the ones who are currently affected the most are the school’s Year Two children who are crammed into two “classrooms” in what used to be the school’s canteen.

“The electrical wiring is unsafe. The wooden floors are creaking and classrooms are not at all conducive for the children, teachers and staff. We even have preschoolers in the school,” said Takrin Abdullah, the president of the school’s Parents and Teachers Association.

“I am saddened by the poor infrastructure in SK Sukau, as there are now many students coming from the neighbouring village of Gomantong Jaya and some oil palm plantations studying at the school. Takrin said it was time for a new school building to be built either in the existing school area or at a new site in the village.

He said that of the 433 pupils, 358 were Year One to Year Six students, while 75 children were preschoolers.

The preschoolers alone took up four classrooms, one of which was in main school building, said Takrin.

He said that the school’s computer room was not equipped with computers and neither did it have an air-conditioner, which was a requirement.

Meanwhile, SK Sukau’s Senior Assistant Morsin Gaffar, said the school decided to turn its former canteen into classrooms to accommodate the increasing number of pupils.

He added that while the school’s 31 teachers found it a challenge to teach up to 36 pupils in a class, they were willing to put up with the inconvenience.

“However, what is even more important is for the children to study in a conducive environment," Morsin said.