Relocate 'sole student' Tamil school - Malaysiakini

Like all other children, K Humah wakes up in the morning, has her bath, eats her breakfast, puts on her school uniform and heads off to another day of learning.

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But there is one big difference between the Year Six pupil and her peers elsewhere.

Humah, 12, is the sole student at the Ladang Sungai Timah Tamil school near Teluk Intan. And this how it has been for the past six years.

The school also boasts of three teaching staff - the principal and two teachers - and a gardener.

MIC president S Samy Vellu wants the school relocated.

The veteran politician said there are 22 Tamil schools with a population of fewer than 15 students. They may now have to be relocated to areas with a sizeable number of Indian Malaysians.

A study by MIC has found that enrolment in these schools has declined because of migration of estate residents to urban areas.

The study has forecast that there will not be a single student in those schools in 5-10 years, he said.

In the case of Ladang Sungai Timah Tamil school, he said MIC will immediately request the Education Ministry to relocate it to the nearest location with a large Indian population.

He said shifting the school will mean identifying a piece of land and allocating money for the construction of a new school.

"The school will be rebuilt at a new location with the RM100 million allocated by the government for the rebuilding of Tamil schools," he said.

Samy Vellu said MIC will apply to the Education Ministry for the licence to be transferred to the new school.

"We are aware of the problems faced by the school and have taken the necessary action," he said.

He said MIC will hold discussions with the school administration on the matter.

Muhyiddin: Let her study

Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had said the government will not close any school even if it has only one student.

Muhyiddin, who is also the education minister, said the government will let the school operate even if it had to deploy 10 teachers to teach a single student.

“This is a considerate government and we will not shut schools like this. The student wants to study, so let her,” he added.

The deputy premier also said any attempts to close the school will be politicised.

“If that (closure) happens, some within the community will accuse the government of not caring for their education."

However, he said the government had advised schools with low enrolments to register students in larger schools nearby.