TAWAU: Kalabakan MP Datuk Andi Muhammad Suryady Bandy expressed his disappointment over the cancellation of the Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Perdana Tawau school construction project.
He said previously, three Deputy Ministers and a Minister had visited the proposed site for the school, and the project status had earlier been conveyed as scheduled for tender in November last year.
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“As a MP, I am deeply disappointed by this cancellation because the number of students in this district continues to increase. In addition, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has announced that children as young as six years old will be entering Year One starting next year.
“Within the next two to three years, student numbers are expected to rise significantly,” he said. Andi added that the cancellation of the new school construction is expected to affect students’ comfort and the quality of learning, as some schools currently record more than 40 students in a single class.
He said that building a school takes two to three years to complete, and therefore any delay or cancellation of the project will have long-term implications for the education system in the Tawau and Kalabakan districts.
In this regard, he said he would resubmit the application to the Tawau District Education Office (PPD) and the Sabah State Education Department (JPN) to reassess the urgent need to increase the number of primary schools in Kalabakan and Tawau.
Andi also expressed concern over the unusually high population growth rate in Tawau, warning that if it is not matched with an increase in schools and classrooms, it could affect students’ academic performance as well as the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) of the Tawau PPD, which currently records among the best SPM results in Sabah.
“This strong performance is built from the primary to secondary school levels. If school facility issues are not addressed early, I fear it will have a major impact on the future of our children’s education,” he said.
On the issue of torn textbooks that he recently highlighted on his social media account, Andi said it is a serious matter that must be addressed urgently and seriously by the Ministry of Education.
He said the problem directly affects parents and students, especially those from low-income families, as not all parents can afford to buy new textbooks when the ones provided are damaged.
“The MOE must have a more structured plan to address this issue because although there is the Early Schooling Assistance and other forms of aid, the issue of torn textbooks is actually a problem that can be solved.
“What is important is good planning between the State Education Department and the District Education Office,” he added.
