Two new secondary schools for Serian

Two new secondary schools for Serian
Sumbangan Cikgu SazaliBy Churchill EdwardBorneo PostSerious overcrowding problems will be solved, says Hishammuddin
KUCHING: The parliamentary constituency of Serian will have two more secondary schools, the Parliament was told yesterday.The Education Ministry is building the new SMK Tebedu near Serian while SMK Serian No. 2 has been approved, its minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said when replying to an oral question from MP Datuk Richard Riot Jaem (BN-Serian).Riot was highlighting the overcrowding problems affecting schools in his constituency including SMK Tebakang (with about 1,500 students), SMK Taee (1,800 students) and SMK Serian (more than 2,000 students).According to Hishammuddin, SMK Tebedu will be completed by 2010 and will have 36 classrooms, boarding blocks that can house a total of 1,000 students at any one time and also 18 teachers' quarters.As to SMK Serian No. 2, it will have 36 classrooms, boarding houses for 1,000 students and 19 teachers' living quarters.Another project is the building extension of SMK Taee, which when completed, will add 12 new classrooms.Earlier, the minister said the Ministry of Education aimed to create an environment conducive to the attainment of quality education throughout the country.He said schools in Sarawak, especially those facing problems of overcrowding, including SMK Taee, SMK Serian and SMK Tebakang all in the Serian parliamentary constituency would be receiving due attention.According to the minister, these schools are now listed in the educational development programme under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (RM9).With all these projects, it was the government's hope that the long due overcrowding problem in schools in Serian would be solved, the minister said.