Malaysia’s education ministry identifies 3,164 schools with fewer than 150 students, with measures including relocation being considered.
JOHOR BAHRU: The Ministry of Education has identified 3,164 under-enrolled schools nationwide, each with fewer than 150 students, as of November.
Deputy Minister Wong Kah Woh said the figure involves national schools, Chinese national-type schools and Tamil national-type schools.
He said the ministry is taking several measures to address the issue, including relocating schools to other areas.
Such measures are implemented based on circumstances, and steps to maintain existing schools will also be considered.
This includes 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 said.
Wong was speaking at a press conference after the ground-breaking for SJKC Central Site here.
He cited SJKC Central Site as an example, originally located at Ladang Gomali near Segamat.
It has been relocated to Taman Ekoflora here following a drop in enrolment to just five students.
The school will be closed and its students transferred to nearby schools once the new school receives a Certificate of Completion and Compliance.
The new school, costing RM20 million, is funded through corporate social responsibility contributions.
It is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2027 and will have a capacity of 1,250 students.
