BUKIT MERTAJAM, Dec 14 — School construction projects utilising the Industrialised Building System (IBS), which began in May this year, are seen as a catalyst for change in addressing the issue of overcrowded schools and classrooms, nationwide.

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the initiative, implemented by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in collaboration with the Public Works Department (JKR), had largely been completed within just a few months.

“In fact, at the MOE and Public Works Department (JKR) levels, the project began in May this year, and most of the works have already been completed. This initiative is among the ministry’s key reforms in the development of national education infrastructure,” she said, at a press conference after the handover ceremony of the Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Sheikh Tahir Jalaluddin project, here, today.

Fadhlina added that the construction of IBS schools has had a direct impact on the ministry’s ability to address the issue of school overcrowding in a faster and more effective manner.

She said the project involved 127 construction sites nationwide, with 70 of them located in Selangor, the state facing the most acute issue of school overcrowding.

According to her, the short construction period demonstrated that the approach is both practical and effective, making it suitable for wider implementation.

Fadhlina said the MOE plans to implement the project on a larger scale next year, while ensuring that the completed facilities and classrooms are fully utilised, beginning with the new school session. — Bernama