Johor Education Dept sets 18 secondary schools as shelters in case of floods

JOHOR BARU, Jan 30 — The Johor Education Department has allocated 18 secondary schools across six districts that are currently holding the 2023 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination as temporary flood evacuation centres (PPS) in the event of flooding due to adverse weather.

Its deputy director (school operations) Azman Adnan said the six districts involved are Batu Pahat, Kluang, Kota Tinggi, Segamat, Kulai and Tangkak.

He said the districts will involve 21 examination centres.

Azman listed the schools used as PPS as: SMK Seri Medan, SMK Datuk Sulaiman and SMK Penghulu Saat in Batu Pahat, SMK Abdul Jalil, SMK Kahang and SMK Tengku Aris Bendahara (in Kluang), SMK Bandar, SMK Air Tawar and SMK Seri Medan (in Kota Tinggi), SMK Tinggi Segamat, SMK Gemereh, SMK Chaah and SMK Seri Bali (in Segamat), SMK Bukit Batu, SMK Senai (in Kulai) and SMK Tun Seri Lanang (in Tangkak).

He said based on this morning’s report, there were no reported problems involving the management for the SPM examinations throughout the country.

“There is no issue of students being affected. The respective candidates can access the examination centres despite reports that some states are still affected by the floods," he said to reporters after a visit in conjunction with the first day of the 2023 SPM examination at Sekolah Tun Fatimah here today.

Also present during the visit were Johor Education Department deputy director (school management) Anuar Sukiran and Johor Baru district education officer Salian Selamat. They were joined by Sekolah Tun Fatimah principal Radziah Mohd Din and National Parental, Community and Private Involvement Focal Person Datuk Yahya Jaafar.

Azman said the department has also identified 53 examination centres and their respective routes in Johor that will likely flood in the event of a heavy downpour.

He said this involved 11 examination centres each in Pontian and Segamat, seven in Mersing, six each in Kota Tinggi and Kuali and four each in Muar, Tangkak and Kluang.

Azman said a total of 48,426 candidates sat for the SPM examination at 364 centres, involving 301 schools in Johor for this year.

From the total, he added that 161 were candidates with special educational needs.

“A total of 5,018 education officers and exam invigilators are involved throughout the 2023 SPM examination period in the state," he said.