Sabah Currently Has 23 "Squatting Schools". Here's What The Ministry Of Education Is Doing
"We are aware that priority needs to be given to schools like this," said Senior Education Minister Dr Radzi Jidin.
Published for Ministry of Education Malaysia, 19 Sep 2020, 03:50 PM
On a recent trip to Sabah, Senior Education Minister Dr Radzi Jidin has been visiting schools and getting input from teachers and the community in hopes of improving the education system
One of the main issues the Ministry of Education (MOE) wants to tackle in Sabah is "squatting schools" - where two schools are operating in the same building
When it comes to "squatting schools", or shared schools, it involves a few categories:
- Primary school at a secondary school
- Secondary school at a primary school
- Two primary schools in a same building
According to Dr Radzi, there are currently 23 shared schools in Sabah. While building-sharing among primary schools may not be as problematic, most of the issues involve secondary schools "squatting" at primary schools.
"There are many schools that require attention, but we will look into coordinating those allocations based on priority for shared schools with high capacity," he said.
During his visit, Dr Radzi noted that SMK Langkon in Kota Marudu is one of the schools that requires urgent attention
SMK Langkon is currently sharing premises with SK Langkon, however, the school is in dire condition. Due to capacity issues, the secondary school has had to conduct makeshift classes below the stilted primary school to accommodate students.
Dr Radzi noted that SMK Langkon's building was supposed to be completed a long time ago, but construction was delayed due to several reasons. The ministry has now opened tender to rebuild the secondary school, and is hopeful that it will be completed in the near future.
