RM6b school upgrades in Sabah ongoing as new Kalabakan project aims to expand rural education access
KOTA KINABALU, June 29 — The Ministry of Education (MoE) in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence (Mindef), will build a school in Kampung Serudung Laut, Kalabakan under the Jiwa Murni programme to expand access to education for children in remote areas.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the process of establishing the school is currently underway and has received strong support from various parties, including the local community.
'We will ensure that this project proceeds smoothly. I have visited the area during a recent trip and found that the site has very good access, so we will expedite the process,' she told reporters after attending Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka's (DBP) 69th anniversary celebration, here yesterday.
The event was officiated by the Yang Dipertua Negeri of Sabah, Tun Musa Aman.
Fadhlina added that while waiting for the school to be completed, the ministry has implemented a special programme involving reading classes for students in the area.
'Teachers have been coming in rotation, provided by the Sabah Education Department. So far, about 30 students have joined the classes and we are confident the number will continue to grow over time,' she said.
Commenting on dilapidated schools in Sabah, Fadhlina said there are currently 390 projects to upgrade such schools in the state, of which 230 have been completed.
'Another 67 projects are under construction, and 93 are in the pre-construction phase. The total cost for all these projects is RM6.078 billion,' she said. — Bernama
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