TAIPING: A Chinese primary school, SJK (C) Poay Chee, Kuala Sangga, in Kuala Sepetang, Perak with only a single pupil, will be relocated.

The school board is currently making preparations for the school’s relocation to avoid shutdown.

Zheng Dong Wang, chairman of Larut, Matang and Selama Chinese primary school working committee, said the school is left with a Year 2 pupil who will be leaving the school next year.

Her parent informed the school she would apply to transfer to another school as the family would move out of Kuala Sepatang.

The school will not have any new pupil next year, meaning it will be automatically shut down.

The school board submitted a letter to Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon to express its consent to relocate and seek assistance from Mah.

SJK (C) Poay Chee is the third Chinese primary school in Larut, Matang and Selama District to be relocated, after SJK(C) Union Ulu Sepetang in Taiping and SJK(C) Padang Gajah in Trong, as these schools no longer have new pupils.

SJK(C) Union moved to Cyberjaya in 2016 while SJK (C) Padang Gajah was renamed SJK (C) Bandar Seri Botani in Ipoh in 2009.

Zheng said SJK (C) Sungai Rotan and SJK (C) Ngai Seng in Ayer Terjut are two other Chinese primary schools in the district with fewer than five pupils each.