special report In an older part of the Klang Valley, some 15 children gather at a shabby shophouse four times a week for a few hours each day. It is one of many community-run refugee schools throughout the country.

Located in a residential area, among old shophouses and run-down flats, the school occupies the upper-floor of a shoplot, accessed via a dark stairway.

The smell of cooking combines with the sounds of children at their activities, for three families live on the premises. A thin curtain separates the classroom from the living quarters and kitchen.