Manyin mulls merging 3 schools in Serian

Education, Science and Technological Research Minister Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong is looking to relocate SK Tesu, SK Gahat Mawang and SK Kujang Sain to SK Kujang Mawang in Serian should he be given the fund to merge these low enrolment schools (LES).

He said the merging of these schools will serve as a model centralised school to other LES in the state.

“If I’m given the fund, I will start in my area by closing three schools and build only one to centralise the school.

“We have already held a dialogue with parents and the Parent-Teacher Association on this,” the Tebedu assemblyman told a press conference at the State Legislative Assembly ( DUN) Complex’s Media Room yesterday.

According to him, the cost of constructing a new centralised school is around RM20 million.

“Once the money comes, we can even start this project tomorrow,” he said.

He pointed out that Sarawak currently has too many LES, saying out of 1,265 primary schools, 651 have been identified as LES by the Ministry of Education’s Education Planning and Research Division.

He lamented that despite his ministry’s efforts to try merge these schools, none of the state elected representatives have approached the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Research to present their findings on which LES under their respective constituencies should be merged.

“We have written to them and had dialogues with them but none have come to us, and we have not received feedback as well. One of the reasons is probably because parents do not want their children’s school to close,” he opined.

Earlier in his ministerial windingup speech at the DUN, Manyin told the august House that based on initial estimation, 357 of the current LES can be merged into 126 centralised schools.

“The criteria for merging of schools include consent from the parents; site availability; road accessibility; boarding facilities; and access to public utilities such as water and electricity supply.” He stressed that the merging of schools will involve substantial amount of funding and hopes that the federal government will consider this favourably.

If I’m given the fund, I will start in my area by closing three schools and build only one to centralise the school. Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong