KUALA LUMPUR:The school maintenance allocation under Budget 2021 will be distributed according to a formula based on the number of schools as well as the category such as government school or government-aided school.

Senior Education Minister Dr Radzi Jidin said the formula is to ensure more a comprehensive distribution of the RM620 million allocation specially for maintenance of schools under the Ministry of Education (MOE) nationwide.

“During an engagement session with the Finance Ministry, MOE has sought to be given the responsibility to determine the distribution of maintenance allocation for schools and educational institutions under MOE.

“This is to ensure the distribution is carried out more comprehensively by taking into consideration the number and type of school,” he said when winding up the debate on the 2021 Supply Bill at Dewan Rakyat today.

He said to date, there are 10,223 schools under MOE comprising 8,293 government schools and 1,930 government-aided schools.

The types of schools for the two categories cover Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK); Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK); Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC); Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil (SJKT); Missionary Schools; Conforming Schools (Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan); and Government-Aided Religious School (Sekolah Agama Bantuan Kerajaan).

In this regard, Radzi said under the formula, the ceiling allocation for the types of schools are RM477.48 million for SK and SMK government schools including residential school and vocational colleges while government-aided SK and SMK schools get RM1.2 million.

“Government and government-aided SJKC are allocated RM74.07 million; government and government aided SJKT, RM29.98 million; as well as government and government-assisted missionary schools RM20.94 million,” he said.

“Apart from that, government and government-assisted Conforming Schools will receive RM4.11 million and government-aided religious schools RM12.23 million,” he said.

Meanwhile, when replying to an interjection by Teo Nie Ching (PH-Kulai) on the reopening of kindergartens in Johor and Melaka after the Conditional Movement Control Order had been lifted, Radzi said the matter is being studied.

“Kindergartens should still be closed, that is why I have to check the information given by the Honourable Member from Kulai, he said.

-- BERNAMA