Emphasis will be given to build more national schools as schools are built based on priorities and needs of the affected areas, Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein stressed today.

"The ministry plans schools to be built for all races and not for a specific race only," he said in a written reply to Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah) in Parliament today.

However, he stressed that the establishment of national schools are to foster unity among various races and that "it is the ministry's policy that all plans for new schools are focused on the development of national schools which can provide education to children of various races."

Fong has asked the minister for the number of vernacular schools and national schools built during the Eighth Malaysian Plan (2001-2005), and the number of applications for vernacular schools submitted to the ministry but yet to be approved.

Case-by-case basis

The minister said that the applications for vernacular schools would be considered on a case-by-case basis and on specific needs. However, he did not reveal the number of applications received.

According to Hishammuddin, 280 new primary schools - 273 national schools, six Chinese-type national schools (SJKC) and one Tamil-type national school (SJKT) - were built under the Eighth Malaysian Plan.

The Chinese school issue turned into a national controversy recently when the MCA submitted proposals to build more Chinese-type national schools under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

Meanwhile, Hishammuddin, in another written reply to Tan Kok Wai (DAP-Cheras), said that the government has allocated RM4.9 billion for the development of fully-aided national schools, SJKC and SJKT from year 2001 to 2005.

While partially-aided SJKC and SJKT received RM133.6 million and RM57.6 million respectively.