FALLING roof tiles in SK Seri Kepong in Kuala Lumpur are putting pupils and staff at risk.
The school’s roof is in a such a bad state that the top floor, which has 10 classrooms, has not been used for the past two years because of leakage problem.
A check by StarMetro found the ceiling at the top floor had water marks and gaping holes where pigeons could be seen taking shelter.
The floor was dirty and filled with dust as well as bird droppings.
The library that was there has been relocated to a lower floor.
Parts of the school’s ground floor were also cordoned off to avoid accidents involving falling tiles, especially when it was windy or raining.
SK Seri Kepong headmaster Rosman Matnoor said school prefects were stationed near the prohibited sites during recess to ensure no pupils crossed into the dangerous area.
“I was posted to this school in June last year, which is when I came to know about the problem. “I raised the matter verbally with Kuala Lumpur Education Department and formally lodged a complaint in May after a thunderstorm.
“There are 214 pupils in this school that comprises preschool, primary and special education classes.
“We have enough classrooms despite the top floor being cordoned off, but this problem is a hazard and waste of space.
“The extra classrooms can be used by uniformed clubs for co-curricular activities,” he said during a meeting with Education officers and Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng to address the issue.
The department’s civil engineer Wan Norzaimi Mat said the Kuala Lumpur Education Department received a complaint on May 25 and had applied for an allocation to carry out repair works.
“We have been doing periodic maintenance on the roof over the years but because the building is in an area prone to crosswinds, the roof tiles are susceptible to being ripped off by strong winds.
“We have to find a better solution,” he said.
Lim said he would send a contractor to assess what immediate repair works could be done to avoid an unfortunate incident.
“I will apply for the RM20,000 emergency allocation granted to MPs to fund these repairs while waiting for the Education Ministry to act upon the complaint,” he said.
Parent-Teacher Association chairman Tan Chong Meng said he hoped the repair works would be carried out as soon as possible and the problem would be settled for good.
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