SMK St Teresa needs matching grants from fed govt to rebuild assembly hall
KUCHING: Matching capital grants are being sought from the federal government to top up the funds needed to build new blocks for the 132-year- old SMK St Teresa, to replace the Assembly Hall Block which was razed by fire last year.
Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong said he will lead the state government to seek such grants when meeting his federal counterpart, Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid in Putrajaya soon.
He also revealed that he would talk to his federal counterpart on the ‘ missing’ Gawai holidays in next year’s schooling schedule.
“I will meet him once the paperwork is ready,” he told reporters after visiting the school yesterday. Also present were the ministry’s permanent secretary Datu Sudarsono Osman, school principal Mary John and Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kuching Rev Simon Poh.
Manyin said the state government could not commit any allocation yet unless it uses some funds from the federal Budget 2018’s allocation of RM1 billion for Sarawak to repair dilapidated schools.
He explained that Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg had indicated that the RM1- billion allocation be given to the state in the form of trust fund totally managed by the state government.
“If it is done like this, then we can chip in some funds from the RM1 billion for SMK St Teresa. We still do not know what is the final decision (on how the allocation will be given to the state),” he said.
On the new blocks for SMK St Teresa, he said the school came up with a plan, which is not only to build a new multipurpose hall but also another block for classrooms so that the school will be a singlesession school.
“They have raised about RM3 million, but are still short of more than RM5 million,” he said.
On Oct 29 last year, a fire burned down the SMK St Teresa’s Assembly Hall Block, which rendered the whole block comprising the assembly hall, staff room, library, sewing room, living skills workshop, music room, counselling room, surau and toilets unusable.
Since then, several groups and organisations have joined hands to organise various fundraising activities to collect donations and contributions. These include running events, concerts, zumba fitness party, a dinner, aerodance and sale of souvenirs and various products.
The rebuilding project is estimated to cost RM8.2 million. To date, the school has raised RM1.6 million, and a further RM1.5 million came from the government, bringing the total to RM3.1 million.
An additional RM 5.1 million is still needed.
The Assembly Hall Block will be demolished next month ( December) to make way for the scheduled commencement of the project in January next year.
Meanwhile, the issue of ‘missing’ Gawai holidays for next year’s schooling semester has been hotly debated on social media after it was revealed in the Ministry of Education’s website that the midyear holidays will start on June 11 after Gawai.
Manyin was quoted in last Sunday’s news report that he would propose that school’s midyear holidays in Sarawak be from May 28 up to June 9, which will be Gawai time.