Parents join teachers, pupils clean up school

KANOWIT: SK Nanga Ngungun in Sungai Ngemah near here organised a ‘gotong royong’ project to clean up the school premises on Aug 7.

Joining the school staff and pupils for the activity were 198 members of the school’s parent-teacher association.

Headmaster Bundong Nibong, who led the effort, was glad to note that rapport between the school and parents was further strengthened after the event.

“We want to promote our safe school policy. This is a part where parents can contribute to the school,” he said, pointing out that the general cleaning was a yearly event.

Apart from cleaning up the school premises, the participants also repaired broken chairs and tables.

SK Nanga Ngungun is one of the earliest primary schools to be established in Sungai Ngemah.

The two other primary schools in the area are SK Nanga Nirok and SK Nanga Jagau.

The late Tuai Rumah Ijau Guyang made a proposal for the school to be built to the local authorities in 1954.

Five years later, a wooden hut with bamboo floor and palm leaf roof was built.

Shortly after that, longhouse folk joined hands to build two more classrooms and two units of teachers’ quarters.

On Jan 1, 1960, the school was given the name ‘Local Authority Primary School Council Nanga Ngungun’, and classes began with 65 pupils and two teachers.

In 1964, the local authorities built two more teachers’ quarters and a classroom block.

Between then and 1987, the school saw the addition of more classroom blocks and teachers’ quarters.

It became a boarding school as children from the longhouse could reach the school only by the Ngeman River.

Power supply from Sesco only came in 1991, but was only available for 12 hours daily from 6.30pm to 6.30am.

On April 11, 1996, the Rajang Area Security Command (Rascom) administration building and 14 units of quarters were handed over to the school.

In mid 1996, boarders were relocated to a classroom block built in 1985.

A hostel built in 1978 close to a durian farm was later turned into a science lab and library.

A kindergarten building was built in 2002, and in the following year, the school commenced pre-school classes.

In 2007, the school started to enjoy 18-hour electricity from 2pm to 8am daily. Along with that came the Internet facility.

Today, apart from primary one to six classes and pre-school education, SK Nanga Ngungun also runs a remedial class (pemulihan khas).

- The Borneo Post,  August 10, 2012, Friday