Govt to carry out high-rise school pilot projects this year

 

The education ministry said this initiative would reduce the costs of building schools while ensuring students had access to education.

PETALING JAYA: 

The government has decided to carry out high-rise school pilot projects this year, aimed at overcoming limited land space and high demand for schools, particularly in high-density areas.

In a statement, the education ministry said the pilot projects will be carried out in Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur and Penang.

It said this initiative will be carried out in collaboration with strategic corporate partners, adding that this would reduce the costs of building schools while ensuring students could gain access to education.

This decision followed a meeting between Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and top ministry officials.

It was previously reported that DBKL had proposed building high-rise schools, comprising two blocks ranging from 10 to 17 storeys, around the city centre.

Federal territories minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa was reported to have said that the recommendation was to address the city’s limited land available to build schools and rising population.

Last month, education minister Fadhlina Sidek said her ministry was studying the feasibility of building 17-storey high-rise schools.

She said at present there were some schools in the federal territories that were already 10 storeys tall.

The National Union of the Teaching Profession, however, voiced concerns over the safety of students and teachers in high-rise school buildings, warning that overcrowding could pose significant risks, especially during emergency evacuations.

The education ministry said today’s meeting with the prime minister largely focussed on reforms that need to be urgently implemented in the education system.

The ministry said it will introduce technical and vocational education and training (TVET) initiatives in boarding schools, starting with five such schools.

At the meeting, it was also agreed that all students must master the Malay and English languages, while the competency of teachers in both languages also needed to be bolstered. - FMT