Johor bahru: 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).

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the ministry is taking several measures to address the issue, including relocating the schools to other areas. However, 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. Wong emphasized that even if the number of students is as low as 50 or 30, the MOE will ensure continued access to education if there is a genuine need in the area.

Wong made these remarks during a press conference following the ground-breaking ceremony for SJKC Central Site. Also present was Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching. Meanwhile, Wong stated that SJKC Central Site, originally located at Ladang Gomali near the Segamat district, has been relocated to Taman Ekoflora due to a drop in enrollment to just five students.

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