1Malaysia? Forget it, that’s still a long way off.
One of the vision schools, a concept of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, is in a sorry state after operating for less than a decade.
Originally picked from national type and vernacular type schools, they were made to share one compound with the noble intention of reducing racial polarization among the various races.
The school in USJ, Selangor, SRJK (T) Tun Sambanthan, part of this project, also includes SRK Dato Onn Jaafar and SRJK (C) Tun Tan Cheng Lock.
Though close neighbours located in Kompleks Sekolah Wawasan, there appears to be no interaction among the children.
A common assembly takes place only once a month. On sports days all three conduct their prize giving ceremonies separately.
Despite having a student population of 750, the Tamil school is only 3- storeys high compared to its Malay neighbour that boasts 4 storeys with an enrollment of 500 children.
“Over the past one year, the school has been managing with 20 out of 40 computers, as the others need repairs,” complained S Murali, the Tamil school’s Parents-Teachers Association chairperson.
He also showed Malaysiakini a classroom with a crack running across the floor which the Works Department had declared unfit for use.
“I raised this matter with state Education Department. They told me that they don’t have allocations.”
As a result, a science laboratory was converted to accommodate about 45 children.
“We are no better than a fully aided school,” lamented Murali (right).
A school falling into this category is either fully or partially aided.
Utility rooms also have been converted into classrooms to accommodate the growing number of children, he added.
All three schools are also paying their own electricity and water bills, which Murali claims are supposed to be met by the government.
To rub it in, the Tamil school children are not allowed the use of the common badminton hall as its electricity bill is paid by SRK Dato Onn Jaafar, he added.
Meanwhile a reliable source, who requested anonymity, admitted that school’s computer classes are affected by shortages.
The source said that two officials had come last week to look into the matter, adding that the state education department is in the midst of preparing an allocation for the cracks to be filled.
Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email 
