Schools in the country are encouraged to apply for maintenance funds to repair any aging infrastructure and ensure the safety of students, said Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh. His statement came in response to the recent incident involving a female primary school student sustained a hand injury by a metal staircase railing in Ulu Kinta, Ipoh.
The Education Ministry (MOE) allocates between RM900mil and RM1Bil annually for school maintenance and has issued notices to all the governments and government-aided schools to apply for these funds. According to Wong Kah Woh, applications for government schools can be submitted year-round, while government aided schools have a designated application period each year.
Speaking at the Perak Level TS 2025 Calligraphy Art Competition at Sentral Mall Taiping, he emphasized the urgency of this safety matter and urged the District Education offices (PPD) and State Education Departments (JPN) to prioritize student safety by ensuring timely repairs of facilities in schools.
The Viral Incident that Raised Concern over school infrastructure
The call for action follows after a social media post of a woman who claimed her daughter suffered a serious hand injury from rusty metal railing at the school staircase. The medical treatment was required to be at a private hospital, costing nearly RM10k after she was unable to receive the immediate care at a government hospital.
In response to that post, the Perak Education, Youth and Sports Committee Chairman Khairuddin Abu Hanipah directed the JPN to investigate the matter and prepare a report, as any issues affecting students safety must be taken seriously. He also emphasized that school management must report any dangerous infrastructure to prevent any incidents in the future.
With this incident highlighting concerns over the conditions of school buildings, authorities are now reinforcing the importance of having regular maintained and the use of allocated funds from the government to safeguard students.
Sources: Bernama
