Almost RM1b allocated for upgrading of Tamil schools since 2009: Kamalanathan

PETALING JAYA: From the year 2009 till this year, the government has allocated close to RM1 billion for the purpose of land acquisitions, construction and upgrading of Tamil schools in the country.
Deputy Education Minister, Datuk P. Kamalanathan said contrary to popular belief, Tamil schools here have never been neglected.
"Our prime minister has always paid close attention to the progress of Tamil schools and in fact the total allocation received was RM986.21 million since 2009," he told theSun.
At present, he said there were a total 530 Tamil schools (SJKT) in the country, of which 158 are owned by the government.
The other SJKTs, he said are government-aided schools.
"Over the last three years, seven new Tamil schools have been built at a cost of RM130 million," he said.
These schools are SJKT Paya Besar, Kedah: SJKT Tan Sri Manickavasagam PJS 1; SJKT Taman Sentosa, Klang; SJKT Bandar Cheras Mahkota, Cheras; SJKT Bandar Seri Alam, Johor; SJKT Haewood, Perak; and SJKT Taman Keladi, Kedah.
"Also, earlier this year, Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak announced a RM1.8 million allocation to build pre-school classrooms at seven Tamil schools nationwide.
"In last year's budget, RM10 million was allocated for the construction of 50 pre-school classrooms in Tamil schools nationwide, but it was insufficient to accommodate the pre-school enrolment," he added.
Kamalanathan said Tamil schools in the country have come a long way and apart from producing straight A students, there was also strong emphasis on sports and other curriculum activities.
"Many still think Tamil schools are in poor condition and lack the necessary facilities to provide students with quality education.
"However, contrary to this, under the present government, plenty has been done for these schools and parents can be assured of the best quality and facilities for their children," he said.
He said the Education Ministry was also constantly monitoring the progress of these schools and more projects are in the pipeline to further enhance their quality.