GEORGETOWN: The Penang government has appealed to the Education Ministry to look into the issue of three iconic convent schools that will be shutting down by 2024.
The three schools — SK , SMK Convent Light Street and SMK Convent Pulau Tikus will be closed down and the land returned to its owner, the Sisters of Infant Jesus Malaysia.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the Education Ministry could consider relocating the schools to other places on the island or in the state.
Chow said the state government would also look into the possibility of providing land for the schools.
“Over the years, the state Education Department has an inventory of lands surrendered by developers, and for the last five or six years, the state had also received school lands surrended directly to the state government.
“We can look at the possibility of such lands being made available if the Education Department chooses to relocate the schools,” he added.
Yesterday, state education director Dr Mahanom Mat Sam said the shutdown of the three schools followed a request from the landowner to return the land.
She said the state Education Department had stopped the intake of new students in the three schools since last year.
Chow said he had also received a letter from the landowner, asking for a meeting with him on the issue on July 19.
He added that since SK and SMK Convent Light Street were listed as heritage buildings, the schools are subjected to development control with regards to the World Heritage Site status.
“We do not know if there are any plans to develop the land, so let us wait what the landowner has to say during the meeting,” he said, when asked to comment on whether the state government would grant approval for land development.