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| KUALA LUMPUR: Educationists are urging the government to allocate more funds to permanently resolve the problem of dilapidated schools, saying the current RM2 billion provision is insufficient.
The allocation, announced under 2026 Budget, is intended to upgrade over 520 dilapidated schools — particularly in Sabah and Sarawak — as well as to repair and maintain facilities across various school types, including student amenities and teachers' rooms.
The Education Ministry's budget for next year has increased to RM66.2 billion, up from RM64.2 billion in 2025, as announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia academic Dr Anuar Ahmad said the issue of dilapidated schools had persisted for far too long and must be addressed comprehensively.
"We still face long-standing issues such as dilapidated schools, teacher shortages and poor infrastructure.
"Ideally, we want to completely resolve the issue of dilapidated schools, which has persisted for far too long.
"The government's RM2 billion allocation should be used promptly to address these problems.
"Students in these schools are left behind due to poor conditions," he told the New Straits Times.
National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) president Aminuddin Awang shared a similar view, saying the allocation was insufficient given the number of schools in the country.
"For NUTP, the RM2 billion allocation for school maintenance is insufficient for 10,241 schools (total in Malaysia), some of which require physical maintenance due to the age of the buildings.
"Since this is still at the debate stage, NUTP hopes that there is still room for improvement," he said.
He added that the union appreciated the government's continued commitment to prioritising the issue of dilapidated schools.
Both Aminuddin and Anuar noted that Budget 2026 largely mirrors the allocation framework of previous years.
"This budget isn't completely what we had hoped for — there are areas where we expected more.
"However, overall it remains consistent with previous years, maintaining the same general framework," said Anuar.
The academic also lauded the government's decision to cover tertiary education costs for students from families earning below RM2,700 a month through the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN).
Under the 2026 Budget, RM120 million has been allocated for this initiative, expected to benefit around 5,800 students annually.
"The government still sees that education is something crucial to develop a nation," he said.
Serious about TVET education
The government is also stepping up its investment in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), allocating RM7.9 billion for 2026, an increase from RM7.5 billion this year.
"This shows a strong national commitment to making TVET a key education stream, not a second choice.
"With such investment, we hope parents and students will view vocational education as a valuable career path," Anuar added.
More commitment needed for language and STEM
Meanwhile, the Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) urged the government to make better use of the Dual-Language Programme (DLP), especially after the prime minister highlighted the importance of English proficiency.
PAGE chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said the DLP was "nearing its death" as schools had begun limiting the number of students allowed to participate.
"We also like that the teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is being brought to rural students who do not enjoy such facilities.
"More needs to be spent on teacher training especially for STEM which is the foundation for TVET as well as the pursuit to produce scientists and engineers which we are sorely lacking in," she added.
She also stressed that adequate allocations should continue for Bahasa Melayu education, given its role in national identity and inclusivity. |
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