Thursday October 8, 2009
PMR student tries to delay test by setting fire to school
By DESIREE TRESA GASPER
JOHOR BARU: The first day of PMR turned fiery for SMK Johor Jaya 2 here as one of the examination hall went up in smoke.
A student was believed to have torched the examination hall in a desperate attempt to delay the PMR.
One boy at SMK Johor Jaya 2, in Johor Baru, had a burning desire to escape his PMR test — he set the examination hall on fire. This was the second time a fire happened in the school right before the PMR. The first incident happened two years ago.
The 6am fire yesterday completely destroyed a classroom which was converted into an examination hall and located on the ground floor of a three-storey building.
However, the PMR was not disrupted as the school’s administration relocated the affected 75 students to another classroom.
It is learnt that the school authorities lodged a police report alleging arson as a teacher was believed to have seen a person running away from the scene.
Johor Deputy Education Depart-ment director Markom Giran, who visited the scene, said a student was believed to be responsible for the fire.
“We think diesel was used to start the fire,” he said, adding that it extinguished at around 6.25am.
“Students taking the PMR were immediately relocated to another classroom initially prepared as an A(H1N1) quarantine area,” Markom said, adding that a total of 365 students are sitting for the PMR at the school.
He commended the school authorities for efficiently moving the students to another location without any disruption to the examination.
Markom added that a similar incident had occurred in the same school about two years ago during the PMR.
“Last time, a school workshop was torched. We believe this was the work of students who deliberately tried to stall the examination because they were not prepared,” he said.
Markom added that the culprit was never found in the previous arson incident.
He said about RM20,000 would be needed to repair and repaint the damaged areas.
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