Parents against closure of SK Assumption

BUTTERWORTH: Parents of students of SK Assumption here are unanimous in their call for the school to continue operating despite a recent directive to cease operations.

Save Assumption School (SAS) joint taskforce said since the shocking directive by the Penang Education Deputy Director that SK Assumption would close by Feb 28, the SAS joint taskforce had been working tirelessly to engage the various stakeholders concerned.

It also went on to say that the parents were unanimous that the school should continue to operate.

"The landowner is supportive of the school and the taskforce's efforts. The Bagan Dalam assemblyman M. Satees continues to make efforts in resolving the issue.

"The Assumption Butterworth Alumni Association (ABAA) has written to the Education Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Radzi and the landowner Lim Sam Keow with copies to the Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, the Deputy Chief Minister Dr P. Ramasamy, Satees, the Member of Parliament for Bagan Lim Guan Eng, the Titular Roman Catholic Bishop of Penang and the chairperson of the Federation of Christian Missionary Schools in Malaysia.

"Despite two letters to the Education Minister, there has been no reply nor any statement to the media. The Ministry is responsible for this debacle yet they choose to remain silent," it said today.

An online petition at Change.org (https://www.change.org/SaveAssumptionSchool/) has garnered nearly 10,000 petitioners with more than 110,000 views.

"The SAS joint taskforce remains committed in ensuring that the wellbeing and welfare of the students remain a top priority and seek solutions that will allow them to finish their formative primary school years without any disruptions or negative experience of feeling 'unwanted' by any action of the Education Ministry," he added.

It was reported that the SAS joint taskforce, in a statement, had said that at a recent meeting, the Education Ministry had announced that the mission school would be closed with effect from Feb 28.

The joint taskforce claimed the "instruction" to meet was called by the ministry, giving the recipients less than 24 hours of notice.

It said a joint taskforce comprising representatives from the Parent-Teacher Association, the Assumption Butterworth Alumni Association and pro-tem Board of Governors was quickly formed.

Related Articles