PARLIAMENT The government has no plans to close vernacular schools to pave the way for national schools, but it will transfer teachers out when schools are under-enrolled, Education Minister Mahdzir Khalid said.

"For the time being, the Education Ministry has no proposals to close vernacular schools just to give way for national schools,” he said in a written reply in Parliament yesterday.

"Section 28 of the Education Act stipulates the establishment and maintenance of national and vernacular schools by the minister," he said.

"However, for under-enrolled schools (sekolah kurang murid) which failed to show any improvement in enrolment for two years, the ministry can stop the operation of such schools,” he said.

If this happens, he said, the ministry can transfer out the teachers to another school, which has better potential in enrolling pupils.

He was responding to Marcus Mojigoh (BN-Putatan) who asked whether the government will close vernacular schools to make way for national schools.