KUALA LUMPUR – The new 2021/2022 school term, which begins next week, will be a challenging one due to the recent floods, which wreaked havoc throughout the country.
Educators who spoke to The Vibes said there is a need to replace destroyed items so students feel comfortable about returning to school.
“A good number of families have lost their school books, uniforms, and bags. The high cost will affect B40 families.
“The government should look into providing support for students,” said Klang MP Charles Santiago, who witnessed the impact of the floods.
Floodwaters rose too fast
Tang Mee Lin, a senior assistant at SJK (C) Lee Min, Telok Gong, Klang, spoke to the Vibes about the trauma the school management experienced during the floods.
“The security guard called to inform us of the rising waters, but it was night and the waters rose quickly. We could not shift our computers, the books in the library, and our cupboards,” said Tang.
She also said that the one-storey school had no higher ground to store valuable items such as the computers in each classroom.
According to Tang, floods are a regular occurrence in the school due to its proximity to the sea, the lack of drainage, and over-development, with over 500 factories in the locality.
“The location is not suitable due to the high risk of floods, but this last round of floods is one of the worst.
“The teachers have cooperated very well, helping to collect and throw away the destroyed items. But most of the cleaning was done by the Klang and Penang councils,” she said.
Chua Pei San, chairwoman of the parent-teacher association at SJK (C) Lee Min, also expressed her deep disappointment at the poor condition of the school after the floods.
“Many parents had come forward to help and donate items, with many being sponsored by kind citizens in the locality.
“We have requested the Education Ministry, on many occasions, to move the location of the school so students can study in peace and not be emotionally affected by the floods.
“Many feel afraid to come to school due to the sudden nature of the floods, which occur regularly,” said Chua.
Students, parents, and teachers affected by impact of floods
Panginiammal Muniandi, principal of SJK (T) Larang Highlands in Klang said that despite the school not being affected by the recent floods, 224 pupils and ten teachers may be unable to attend the school’s re-opening.
“This is due to the condition of their homes, their lack of uniforms, destroyed electrical items, and lack of transport to school.
“They need time to replace all the lost items, especially uniforms and school materials, and we are desperately in need of sponsors to help these students and teachers return to school,” she said.
Panginiammal added that as many of the affected students are from the B40 group and the floods dealt a great blow to them, both mentally and financially, they are not ready to return to school next week.
The same sentiments were expressed by Siti Halijah Sarani, the principal of SK Taman Sri Muda, which is facing problems such as the absence of power, water supply interruptions, and a fused water pump.
“At the moment, the school cannot say whether we can open next week. Many items including furniture that were destroyed in the floods need replacement and students do not have sufficient chairs and tables,” said Siti Halijah.
She also said the floods had affected the students badly with the floods badly affecting their textbooks, uniforms, and most importantly, their mode of transport to school.
“Many parents have lost their cars in the floods. Transport operators’ vans and vehicles need to be repaired in time for school, which may not be possible by next week,” she said.
Klang councillor Puspavali Mahalingam told The Vibes of the various activities undertaken to assist schools in affected areas.
“The floodwaters left behind soil and mud, which had to be washed away with high-powered pumps. We provided transport to remove destroyed items such as desks, chairs, and other furniture.
“It was a tough job, especially at SJK (C) Lee Min, as the school is constantly flooded, but as it is a single-storey school, we had no way of moving their items to a higher floor,” she added.
“Currently, we are working on a back-to-school programme, providing vouchers for the purchase of uniforms and books so students can return and begin the school year,” she said.
Meanwhile, Education Minister Datuk Radzi Jidin was reported as saying that all damaged textbooks destroyed in the floods would be replaced for free, to enable teaching and learning lessons to run smoothly. – The Vibes, January 8, 2022
