DEPUTY Education Minister Teo Nie Ching and Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow were at Bandar Cassia in Batu Kawan to inspect the 6-acre site earmarked for a Chinese primary school to meet the needs of the local population.
The need for such a school arises, as according to the information provided by the Penang Development Corporation (PDC), the local population is expected to hit 250,000 in the years to come.
“We are of the opinion that this area is truly in need of a SJKC (Chinese primary school) as there are currently a national primary school, Tamil primary school and a secondary school here. Furthermore, the local population is projected to reach 250,000 in the coming years,” Teo said, in her speech, at the Batu Kawan PDC Sales Gallery on Oct 14.
Asked on the size of the SJKC to be built, Teo replied that a 24-classroom school costing between RM8 to RM10 million should be sufficient for the time being. She also noted that the ideal number of students per class should be 35 and do not exceed 40 at the most.
“The estimated cost would depend on how many classrooms to be built. Usually it would be 12, 18, 24 or 36 classrooms. For this area and at this stage, I think (a school with) 24 classrooms would be sufficient for the time being. This, of course, is also subjected to the proposals from other parties,” she added.
The deputy minister also commented that other matters need to be taken into consideration include the license needed for the school, be it a totally new one or to move a Chinese primary school from elsewhere with low enrolment to the site in question as well as sufficient space for the soon-to-be -built school for the extracurricular activities of the students.
Teo expressed her hope for the school to begin operations in year 2021.
“The Chinese primary school with low enrolment had done what’s needed as its early measures in facing the problem. When it came to my attention there’s a piece of land here which suits the school, I had intended to move the school to Batu Kawan. But when the deputy minister informed me the plan to build a new school here, on the part of the state government and PDC, we will fully cooperate and to make the best decision to meet the true needs of the people and the school management board,” Chow told the media.
Also present were Bukit Tambun assemblyman Goh Choon Aik, PDC deputy general manager II Mohd Bazid and Penang State Education director Mohd Jamil Mohamed.
Story by Victor Seow
Pix by Noor Siti Nabilah Noorazis