Ministry to address low pupil enrolment in rural Tamil primary schools

The Education Ministry will discuss with the State Education Department on the issue of low pupil enrolment in rural Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil (SJKT) schools nationwide.

Deputy Education Minister Lim Hui Ying said the ministry is looking for a long-term solution in dealing with the problem so that rural Tamil schools can continue to operate.

"There are some schools that lack students, especially in the estate and Felda areas. We will look into them separately, " she said after the official inauguration of SJKT Gunung Rapat in Ipoh today.

Also present were Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative Deputy Minister Saraswatjy Kandasamy and Buntong assemblyperson M Thulsi Thivani.

It is learnt that 367 Tamil primary schools in the country are operating with fewer than 150 pupils.

On renovations and maintenance of schools which have been catergorised as 'sick' projects, Lim (above) said there were several reasons for the delay in completion, including the increase in raw material costs and problems with construction workers.

However, she said the ministry would continue to pay serious attention to expedite projects that have been approved by the government for upgrading or construction of a new school building.

SJKT Gunung Rapat, built in 1954 in a dense area in the middle of Gunung Rapat town, was today given a new location and building.

- Bernama