KUALA LUMPUR – The Education Ministry did not take any action on reports of some school buildings that have long been identified and deemed unsuitable, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) revealed today.
“For example, there’s a building that has been recommended to be repaired for 12 years, yet no action was taken.
“The committee was informed that this was due to financial constraints, which forced the ministry to prioritise schools based on their critical condition or level of damage,” said its chairman, Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin.
She said the committee visited four schools in Sarawak: SK Supok, SK Nanga Grenjang, SK Serabang, and SK Paku Central, as part of PAC proceedings on the upgrade and redevelopment of dilapidated schools under the Education Ministry throughout the country, including Sabah and Sarawak.
Earlier, the PAC tabled its report at the Dewan Rakyat on the management of the upgrading and rehabilitation of dilapidated school buildings under the Education Ministry, Public Works Department (JKR), Sarawak JKR, and Sabah JKR, following the findings of the Auditor-General’s Report last year.
On January 17, the committee called up witnesses, including officers from the Education Ministry and JKR, to get their testimonies on the matter.
Mas Ermieyati said the committee has also identified delays in processing applications for dilapidated school projects by the Education Ministry, leading to the issuance of a Notice of Change (NoC).
“And the alternative placements provided were not conducive, thus affecting the teaching and learning process,” she added.
“There are other additional costs, such as the construction of temporary settlements for the purpose of dispersing students, increased fixed costs (overhead), time-related costs, extended costs, and others, that need to be borne by the government, and increased work pressure on school staff, education offices, and KPM,” she said.
Staff from schools, education departments, and the ministry are also experiencing heightened workload pressure due to complaints from parents regarding the unfavourable and uncomfortable conditions students are facing.
Mas Ermieyati said the proceedings also concluded a number of matters, among which only 386 poor projects were implemented and 123 (31.9%) of them were completed, while 1,094 schools are yet to submit applications for dilapidated projects.
She said the PAC has given the ministry a two-month deadline to respond and implement recommendations before it is summoned for follow-up proceedings.
The four recommendations must include the introduction of the nationwide “Zero Dilapidated School Buildings” programme to create a safe and conducive environment for teaching and learning.
“Apart from that, the ministry must implement improvements on school maintenance programmes so that they will not be classified as dilapidated.
“The ministry must also strengthen project management practices through continuous meetings of the ministry’s Development Action Committee to ensure that all planned projects are completed on time.
“The Steering Committee for the Redevelopment of Dilapidated School Buildings, chaired by the ministry, needs to be empowered to more effectively address the problems of dilapidated schools,” she added. – March 21, 2024