Tamil schools get huge allocations for upgrading, maintenance

TEMERLOH: The Education Ministry allocated RM50 million this year for the upgrading and maintenance of 157 National Type Tamil Schools in the country, Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said today.
He also said that the ministry provided RM10 million more for the construction of 50 new Tamil-medium pre-school classrooms as well.
"The government under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak always takes heed of the education of the Indian community and this is reflected in the huge allocations channelled for the upkeep of the 524 Tamil schools in the country.
"The renovation and upgrading of these schools began in 2009. In 2015 and 2016 alone, the ministry allocated RM66.5 million for similar work on 300 Tamil schools," he said to reporters after the handing over of the new building of the Ladang Lanchang National Type Tamil School at a ceremony that was also attended by Deputy Education Minister Datuk P. Kamalanathan.
Lanchang state assemblyman and Pahang Tourism and Culture Committee chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Sharkar Shamsuddin was also present at the event.
Mahdzir said the situation in Malaysia was far different from that in neighbouring countries such as Singapore and Indonesia where there was only one medium of instruction despite the presence of various communities.
"In Malaysia, we celebrate the diversity and national type schools continue to exist. In fact, we do not close down schools with low enrolment such as the Ladang Lanchang National Type Tamil School but provide aid and put up a new building," he said.
Kamalanathan said the successful completion of the Ladang Lanchang National Type Tamil School at a cost of RM7 million reflected the concern of the government under the leadership of Najib which ensured that all communities enjoyed quality education in a conducive environment.
He said the local people's 30-year wait for the school to be relocated from a plantation had borne fruit and it showed that the Barisan Nasional government kept its promise even if it took time. — Bernama