Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email This is big challenge for MIC. 6 schools need to be relocated or to be boosted with big number of students. Relocation is not easy. State government may give land in inappropriate place or not give land at all. Then MOE may not give money to build school and facilitate relocation. There’s also the problem of the PTA (PIBG) or school management or parents not wanting to relocate. Finally, need to find sponsors to help build the schools if relocate.
THERE are Tamil schools in Perak with enrolments of just two to nine students each. They now face the dire prospect of closing down if there are no efforts to relocate them to more populous areas, said Makkal Osai.
In a special report, the paper said 13 Chinese schools with low enrolments were already being relocated but the Tamil schools continue to be in a limbo.
Among the low-enrolment Tamil schools named are the Kalumbang Estate Tamil school in Bagan Serai and the Holy Red Tamil school in Selama (each with just two pupils) and the Sungai Peyong Estate Tamil school (four pupils).
The others are Sungai Timah Tamil school (six), Chersonese Tamil school in Kuala Kroh (eight) and the Seberang Estate Tamil school (nine).
The paper learned there are plans to convert the two-storey Kalumbang Estate school into an Indian religious school.
There was talk during the Bukit Gantang parliamentary by-election in April 2009 that the Holy Red Tamil School would be relocated to Taman Kaya in Taiping but the matter had been put on hold and a final decision has yet to be made.
There are an estimated 2,000 Indian families in Taman Kaya, whose children go to the St Theresa Convent Tamil School, about six kilometres away. This school has an enrolment of about 700 pupils.
The paper said the low enrolment and closure of Tamil schools in estate areas were due to families migrating to towns.
It called on Indian based organisations and political parties like the MIC to join forces in resolving this problem.
source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/3/21/nation/8312509&sec=nation
