JOHOR BARU: About 39 pupils in an estate primary school have no choice but to sit and study along the corridors outside their classrooms as the premises has been without electricity for three days after its main power supply box had a short-circuit.
The intense heat also caused a few pupils at SJK(T) Ladang Nam Heng to feel nauseous and giddy prompting the school authorities to allow some of them to study from home.
Powerless: Priyalatha looking at students studying on the floor outside their classrooms.
The school’s Parent-Teacher Association chairman S. Priyalatha said that the power disruption issue has been affecting the school for many years with power trips occurring up to four times a month.
She said that the school, which was built in 1965, had just enough power consumption to support a single block of classrooms.
“Since then the wiring has not been replaced but the school has expanded with an additional two more blocks and other facilities,” she said, adding that each time the electricity trips, the pupils would be without power for up to one hour as an electrician needs to come to the school to reset the power supply.
“However on Tuesday, the main power switchbox shut off resulting in total blackout,” she said, adding that it was sad to see children being forced to sit along the corridors to study as it was too hot to remain inside the classroom.
She said that the matter has been brought up to the district education department, public works department, Tenaga Nasional and the estate management.
She added that on Thursday the estate management had come to reconnect the power supply by temporarily changing the fuse at the switchbox.
However, she added that this was only a temporary measure.
“Last year, the PTA forked out RM6,000 to do some repair works. But the problems have not been resolved and the agencies have been giving us the run-around.
“I hope someone can help resolve this electrical issue so that the pupils can get back to their lessons in a comfortable manner,” she said, adding that the estate management had visited the school and provided for a short term measure to reconnect the power supply.
Priyalatha said a long term measure was needed to replace all the wiring in the school with a bigger allocation from the authorities.
“This is a good school with enrolment increasing annually with some pupils travelling up to 45 minutes to come to school daily,” she said, adding that the school is ranked third among seven schools in Kota Tinggi.
Priyalatha, whose son was in Year Six, said that besides the electricity, the school’s roof also needed repairs as it was leaking.
“During a flood in January, pupils and teachers were stuck in the school for several hours as the access road to the school was cut off due to flooding,” she said.
An official from the Johor education department said they were aware of the issue and were working towards solving the problems.
