Floods: Three schools in Terengganu closed this morning

Three schools in Terengganu had to be closed this morning due to the floods, raising the total number of schools closed in the state to six.

Terengganu Director of Education, Shafruddin Ali Hussin said the three schools closed were Sekolah Kebangsaan Lubuk Periuk in Hulu Terengganu (12 teachers and 54 students), SK Pasir Akar in Besut (45 teachers and 521 students) and SK Padang Kubu in Kemaman (25 teachers and 240 students).

"These three schools should be able to open as usual this morning, but the uncertain weather and continuous heavy rain in Besut and Kemaman resulted in these schools to be closed," he said when contacted by Bernama.

Yesterday, Bernama reported that three schools were scheduled to be closed today namely SK Sungai Las (50 students and 13 teachers), SK Kampung Besut (116 students and 18 teachers), and SK Getang in Hulu Terengganu (27 teachers and 151 students).

Meanwhile in BESUT, District Education Officer, A Halim Hassan said a check on SK Pasir Akar found that the school was inundated with the water level at between 0.7 to 1.2 metres thus making it unsafe for the school session this morning.

This was because 14 of its 25 clarrsooms, especially those on the ground floor, had been flooded.

"This is the first school in the distirct to have been ordered closed after the spillover from Sungai Besut in Pasir Akar had entered the school compound besides the spillover from the streams near the school this morning," he said.

He also disclosed that so far, Jalan Jerteh to Keruak, Hulu Besut had been cut off and impassable to all classes of vehicles as the road at Kilometre 13 near the Gertak Jerbun area and Kilometre 23 near Kampung Bekok had been inundated.

"This had posed difficulty to the teachers in five primary schools and one secondary school namely Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bukit Payung to get to the school this morning.

"However, school session remained as usual as the situation in the affected schools was safe and under control," he said.

On the 15 teachers of Sekolah Kebangsaan Pulau Perhentian, Besut who were stranded and could not get to the school as the sea condition yesterday was choppy, he said they were still unable to get to the school today.

He added that for safety reasons, they were advised against going to the school because there were no boats operating to take them there at the moment.

"However, school session carried on as usual there because two teachers staying on the island could manage the session there," he said.

For teachers who could not get to their respective schools due to the floods, he advised them to report at the schools that were located near their area.