Gerawat: Plans underway to upgrade SMK Bario facilities

KUCHING (Sept 13): Plans are underway to expand SMK Bario to improve the school’s facilities including new classrooms and dormitories, said Datuk Gerawat Gala.

The Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring) said the proposed new facilities will also allow for the commencement of Form 4 and Form 5 classes for students in the Bario area.

Speaking at the launch of the ‘SMK Bario School Expansion and Sports Excellence’ programme here yesterday, he said the school since its establishment in the 1960s had only catered to Form 1 to Form 3 students.

“Currently, students who complete Form 3 at SMK Bario would have to transfer to schools in Marudi or Miri later on.

“The idea for this expansion has been proposed many years ago because the community wants their children to stay in Bario up to Form 5,” he said.

The Mulu assemblyman added the request for the upgrade had actually been brought up to the State Education Department back in the mid-90s.

“It was a request by the community leaders, our Pemanca and our Penghulu, and we have had a few visitors from the Education Ministry as well as the State Education Department.

“The most recent visitor was the State Education director, who is very supportive of the idea,” he shared.

Adding on, Gerawat said another factor for the proposed expansion was the existence of the other remote schools in the highland area.

“We will very soon have a road going from Ba Kelalan to Bario so many students from Ba Kelalan, Long Semadoh and even Long Sukang, if given a choice, I believe would prefer to attend a secondary school which has up to Form 5 classes in Bario.

“This is not only because of the environment but also the local community support, which will be very conducive for them,” he said.

Though the estimated funds needed for the project has not been finalised yet, Gerawat said the expansion will include a new classroom for Form 4 and Form 5 each, as well as an extension of the boys and girls dormitories.

“They will also need additional facilities like a science laboratory and better sports facilities.

“Many rural schools, not only in Bario, have a lot of raw talents in sports, and it has been proven through our former sports personalities such as Kuda Ditta, who hails from Bario and is the the first Sarawakian to compete in athletics at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964.

“If these sports talents were discovered earlier and given proper training and coaching, I am sure they can develop into their full potential to become state and national athletes,” he said.

Gerawat is also optimistic that with the current fundraising initiatives, the new facilities should be ready by next year.

“I can’t say exactly when, but as soon as the Education Ministry gives us the go-ahead to upgrade SMK Bario, the whole community will be mobilised. We are all really happy and eagerly awaiting that approval from the ministry,” he said.

Borneo Harvest Sdn Bhd is assisting and supporting the fundraising for SMK Bario as a private-public partnership initiative with the school, with all the proceeds to be managed and paid directly to the school’s official bank public donation account.

The ‘SMK Bario School Expansion and Sports Excellence’ programme was held in collaboration with Projek57, an award winning social enterprise established in 2015 with the vision to inspire nation building, education for Orang Asli/Asal and youth empowerment.

The event featured a fireside chat with Malaysian football legends Datuk Soh Chin Aun and Datuk Santokh Singh on ‘The Role of Sports in Nation Building’ as part of the upcoming Malaysia Day celebrations.

It also saw Soh and Santokh donating a signed replica of their respective 1972 Malaysia football team jersey to SMK Bario.

Also present were Gerawat’s wife Datin Esther Balan, Projek57 co-founder Collin Swee and SMK Bario principal Robin Amir.