KUALA LUMPUR – The Budget 2025, set to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on October 18, must allocate increased funds to address the issue of dilapidated school buildings across the nation while also implementing stricter oversight on contractors, said the Parent Action Group for Education (Page).
Page chairman Datin Noor Azimah Rahim stated that larger allocations are essential to ensure schools provide a comfortable and conducive environment for effective learning.
She emphasised the need for thorough scrutiny of the building and repair works to avoid any budget overruns.
She said it is a “shame” that the country still fails to fix its schools every year while having great ambitions about having artificial intelligence (AI) technology, a digital economy, and being the world’s largest semiconductor centre.
“Therefore we must ensure that contractors are competent, that there are no multi-layers of sub-contractors, and that the government should blacklist contractors that fail to complete the job on time and within budget.”
“Additionally, the directors of every state education department must be made accountable for shoddy works,” she added in a conversation with Scoop.
The issue of dilapidated schools has garnered media attention in recent months. In July, the Education Ministry reported that 555 schools in Sarawak are classified as dilapidated, with Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek indicating that 361 of these schools require significant repairs, while 194 need complete rebuilding as of June 2024.
In March, Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin noted that some dilapidated school buildings have remained unrepaired for as long as 12 years, despite being recommended for upgrades.
Azimah also urged that Budget 2025 includes allocations for the Dual Language Programme (DLP) and an increase in the number of DLP schools. She highlighted that this step aligns with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s commitment to enhance English language instruction in schools, as it is vital for advanced subjects.
Expanding access to early education
Meanwhile, academic Anuar Ahmad from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) suggests that the annual budget should focus on expanding access to early education for all children aged six, by establishing more kindergartens and preschool facilities across the country.
He proposed that the government provide subsidies for private preschool fees, specifically targeting low-income households in areas lacking government-run preschools.
“Providing more government preschools and subsidies for private preschool fees for the poor would help increase literacy and numeracy rates among students nationwide,” Anuar stated in a message to Scoop.
Anuar also recommended restructuring Early Schooling Aid, arguing that the current practice of offering equal amounts of aid is inappropriate, as disadvantaged children require more support than their better-off peers. He proposed that aid amounts be adjusted according to income levels, with B40 students receiving RM200, M40 students receiving RM150, and T20 students receiving RM100.
Furthermore, Anuar called for the construction of additional primary and secondary schools in urban areas facing overcrowding and for the annual budget to increase allocations for digital education across all schools.
“It is also suggested that allowances for teachers from the peninsula serving in Sabah and Sarawak, as well as teachers from Sabah and Sarawak serving in the peninsula, be increased in Budget 2025,” he added. – October 16, 2024
