3,164 Under-enrolled Schools Nationwide As Of November

JOHOR BAHRU, Jan 31 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Education (MOE) has identified 3,164 under-enrolled schools nationwide, each with fewer than 150 students, as of November last year.

Deputy Minister Wong Kah Woh said the figure involves national schools (SK), Chinese national-type schools (SJKC) and Tamil national-type schools (SJKT).

He said the ministry is taking several measures to address the issue, including relocating the schools to other areas.

However, he added that such measures are implemented based on the circumstances, and steps to maintain existing schools will also be considered, such as combining students from different year groups into a single class.

“Even if the number of students is as low as 50 or 30, if there is a genuine need in the area, the MOE will ensure continued access to education everywhere,” he told a press conference after the ground-breaking for SJKC Central Site here today.

Also present was Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching.

Meanwhile, Wong said SJKC Central Site, originally located at Ladang Gomali near the Segamat district, has been relocated to Taman Ekoflora here following a drop in enrolment to just five students.

He said the school will be closed and its students transferred to nearby schools once the construction of the new school receives a Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC).

According to him, the new school, costing RM20 million and funded through corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributions, is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2027 and will have a capacity of 1,250 students.

-- BERNAMA