KUDAT: To the pupils of Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Balambangan, the construction of a hostel funded by Petronas is so meaningful, especially for those staying far from the school.
The 120-bed rural day hostel which is being built within the compounds of SK Balambangan will help solve the problem of absenteeism among students who had to walk to school or take a boat in bad weather.
The RM4-million hostel, which is situated about an-hour’s drive from Kudat town, is expected to be completed in September.
Standard Six student Hayatun Syamilah Joseph said she was among the 20 students who were staying at the old hostel, and will benefit when the new project is ready.
Residing in Kampung Batu Sirih, Hayatun Syamilah has to take a boat to go to the school, and many a time, she had to miss school when the weather was bad or the boats ran out of petrol.
“By staying at the hostel, I can attend school daily and focus on the classes for the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR),” she said when met during a media visit to Pulau Balambangan.
According to Hayatun Syamilah, her staying at the hostel will lessen the burden on her father who is a fisherman as he had to fork out money to pay for her boat rides to school each day.
Brimming with joy, Hayatun Syamilah said besides being able to focus on her studies, she was happy as the hostel also provides students with balanced and nutritious meals.
The current hostel can only accommodate 20 of the 78 students in Year One to Year Six in the school. Sharing similar views, Hayatun Syamilah’s classmate Mohd Halmie Mohd Halim, who is also from Kampung Batu Sirih, expressed his excitement over the construction of the new dormitory that will allow more students to stay in.
“This year, I am staying at the hostel after walking to school for five years, a one-hour journey,” he said, adding that his attendance at school would depend on weather conditions.
“If it rains, I can’t attend school, and I also faced threats from wild animals, especially wild boars when I walk through the jungles,” he said. – Bernama
