INDONESIA CONSULATE TO BUILD BIGGER SCHOOL FOR INDON KIDS IN SABAH

Kota Kinabalu, May 19, 2009: The Indonesian Consulate here will be identifying a new site as a permanent location to set up a school building for Indonesian children here.

The proposed school will be able to accommodate between 500 and 600 pupils.

Disclosing this here Monday, its Acting Consul-General Rudhito Widagdo said they are still searching for a new site to relocate its present school, Sekolah Indonesia Kota Kinabalu (SIKK) in Alamesra near the 1Borneo Hypermall here.

Last December, the consulate identified a two-acre plot in Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP), Sepanggar, as the permanent site.

"However, the location is not suitable as it is difficult to get public transportation and also the area is far from the residing areas of our countrymen, who are working here.

"Due to these vital factors, we decided to look for a new site and maybe privately-owned land around here with easy access to public transport and situated near the Indonesians' living areas," he said.

Rudhito said this after attending the commemoration of Indonesia Education Day at SIKK premises here.

He said they hoped to identify the new site for the school within this year as the lease agreement for renting the existing school's premises end in June, next year.

In addition, Rudhito said there was an urgent need to identify the new site as the number of pupils in SIKK are growing.

Currently, SIKK has 271 pupils aged between seven and 13 for Year 1 to 5. There are six classes and the school started operation on Dec 1, last year.

Rudhito said newly registered pupils would be screened based on their age and the level of knowledge because the school could only provide formal education for children aged between seven and 13.

He said SIKK would also have new class of Year 1 students in July and the Year 5 pupils would go for the Year Six class.

"We will also identify eligible children to be registered into Form 1 of the secondary school in SIKK," Rudhito said.

Following this, he said the present six Indonesia teachers would also be increased to nine.

"The school here is built for our countrymen to ensure they procure proper education while their parents are working in Sabah. We provide free education, free textbooks and school uniforms and no fees are collected," he said.