NEIGHBOURHOODS TWO AND THREE, BEDOK NEW TOWN (Schools)

Haji Sha'ari bin Tadin asked the Minister for Home Affairs and Education whether there are plans to build schools in Neighbourhoods Two and Three and, if so, where the schools will be built and when they are expected to be completed.

Mr Chua Sian Chin: The current School Building Programme is geared to meet the demands of school places in new towns. Insofar as Neighbourhoods Two and Three of Bedok New Town are concerned, 5 primary and 3 secondary schools would be required to cater for 15,348 housing units or a population of 76,740.

For Neighbourhood Two, a new primary school and a new secondary school each with 28 classrooms have been built so far and are already functioning. Construction on 2 more primary schools will begin soon and these are expected to be ready in 1979. Another secondary school is expected to be ready in 1980.

The Ministry is also planning to build schools in Neighbourhood Three in its next School Building Programme, details of which are being worked out. Anglican High School is, however, in this Neighbourhood.

In addition, 1 primary school and 1 secondary school will be built in Neighbourhood One (which is near Neighbourhoods Two and Three) and they are targetted for completion in 1980.

The new schools' and the existing primary and secondary schools which are within 4 km of Bedok New Town would be adequate to cater for the school-going population in these 2 Neighbourhoods. * Note: Location of these schools is given in the table below.

TABLE I