SHAH ALAM, July 1 — More than 1,000 schools nationwide have been deemed structurally unsafe, prompting the Education Ministry (MOE) to actively pursue replacement building projects in phases.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said 1,061 schools have been identified as having dilapidated buildings categorised under Scale 7 in the first quarter of this year.
The Scale 7 classification under the Public Works Department’s building assessment guidelines is considered the highest and most severe risk rating for a building that is structurally unsafe and poses an immediate danger to occupants.
However, she added that the data remains dynamic and subject to change over time based on ongoing assessments.
The MOE, through the state Education Departments, is continuously reviewing the necessity and feasibility of constructing replacement buildings for the affected schools.
“Applications for school replacements that meet the criteria will be submitted in phases to the central agency for consideration under the Five-Year Malaysia Development Plan,” Fadhlina said in a written Parliamentary reply published yesterday.
She was responding to Puncak Borneo MP Datuk Willie Mongin’s query on the number of dilapidated schools by state that have not yet been upgraded as of the current year.
Willie also wanted to know the teacher-to-student ratio by urban and rural areas, and the number of teacher vacancies that have not yet been filled by states, in detail.
Fadhlina, who is also the Nibong Tebal MP, said the MOE evaluates multiple factors for teacher placements.
Such evaluation includes student enrolment numbers, school locations in urban or rural areas, subject requirements, teacher options, and existing vacancies.
“This approach is crucial to ensure that the distribution of teachers can be carried out in a more balanced manner, according to the actual needs of the schools,” she said.
Fadhlina also disclosed that the current teacher deployment stands at 422,804 personnel, with a recruitment rate of 98.11 per cent, as of June.
