PETALING JAYA: The federal education system has yet again got the lion’s share of Budget 2024, with RM58.7bil allocated for the Education Ministry and RM16.3bil for the Higher Education Ministry for a total of RM75bil.This is a whopping 19% of next year’s national budget of RM393.8bil.
Of this amount, RM1.9bil will be used to upgrade and maintain schools throughout the country.
A total of RM930mil will be used to upgrade dilapidated buildings and infrastructure in 450 schools, including 185 such projects in Sarawak and 155 in Sabah, while RM1bil is for the maintenance of all types of schools – national schools, religious schools, Tamil and Chinese schools, and special education schools which focus on the needs of autistic students.
With the allocation working out to about RM100,000 per school, Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim felt it was inadequate.
She said the allocation needed to be spent wisely to ensure that contracts were only given out on merit.
“The layering of subcontractors (on these projects) leading to leakages must be eliminated.”
Melaka Action Group for Parents in Education (Magpie) chairman Mak Chee Kin said the amount should not be distributed equally. Instead, it should be based on need with schools in worse conditions getting more.
A parent-teacher association (PTA) member from a Chinese school in Ayer Keroh, Melaka, said that while some Chinese schools might benefit from the allocation, there were many that needed funds for things other than maintenance and upgrading work.
“Most partially-aided Chinese schools have problems with utility bills,” she said.
Mohd Firdaus, whose child is studying in Kuala Lumpur, said that while the allocation was the same as last year, it might not be sufficient this time around.
“But it’s understandable due to the current economic situation,” he said.
Educator and former headmaster Datuk N. Siva Subramaniam felt the allocation for maintenance should have been higher as many schools are in dire need of maintenance – with chipped off staircases, toilets and basic facilities.
“The allocation only covers a tiny fraction of the total cost,” he said.
Siva Subramaniam also said an independent committee involving school heads, teachers and PTA members could be set up ensure transparency in the use of the money.
As for the allocation of RM100mil to get students back in school, Siva Subramaniam said the concerned parties needed to make good use of the funds to ensure students would reap the full benefits of furthering their studies.
Another RM100mil has been allocated to implement a holistic approach to help students who dropped out of school.
While welcoming the large allocation given to education, National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general Fouzi Singon said the union hoped the Finance Ministry would consider reevaluating the provision for supplementary food, giving special emphasis to pre-school students.
