MORE than 1,000 schools across Malaysia have been identified as having structurally unsafe buildings, highlighting the scale of the country's ageing education infrastructure as the government prepares to replace eligible facilities through phased development programmes.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said 1,061 schools nationwide had been classified under Scale Seven, the highest category for dilapidated school buildings, as of the first quarter of this year.
She said the Ministry of Education remains committed to providing safe and conducive learning environments for students, with replacement projects to be prioritised based on established criteria.
“Applications for the replacement of schools that meet the required criteria will be submitted in phases to the central agencies for consideration under the Five-Year Malaysia Plan (RMLT) development programme,” she said in a written parliamentary reply published on the Parliament website.
Fadhlina was responding to a question from Datuk Willie Anak Mongin (GPS–Puncak Borneo), who sought details on the number of dilapidated schools by state, teacher-to-student ratios in urban and rural areas, and teacher vacancies nationwide.
On teacher deployment, she said the ministry considers factors including student enrolment, school location, subject requirements, teachers' preferences and existing vacancies to ensure a more balanced distribution of educators throughout the country.
As of June, Malaysia had 422,804 teachers in service nationwide, with teaching positions filled at a rate of 98.11 per cent, reflecting what the ministry described as continued efforts to maintain adequate staffing across the national education system. - July 1, 2026
