He said it was a tradition and the norm for state government leaders to obtain permission from the education minister to visit the schools.
“I thought the issue had been resolved. As I have explained, if the state leadership wants to come visit the schools, it’s better that permission be obtained from the education minister.
“It’s normal to do so because we have to protect the interests of the schools concerned. Even for members of the public, they have to get permission from the state education department, unless they are members of the parent-teacher association of the school concerned.
“But if the school holds an open day, they are free to go,” Shaari told reporters after visiting Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) Kwang Hwa here today.
Shaari was responding to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s claim that he was not allowed to enter a primary school in Sungai Lembu, Bukit Mertajam, and was told to obtain permission from the education ministry.
Lim, who wanted to visit SJKC Kampung Sungai Lembu on Sept 8 to hand over a cheque to the school’s board of governors, asked why a chief minister was not allowed to enter the school and questioned the need for him to obtain permission from the education minister to do so.
Meanwhile, Shaari said 21,656 students were sitting for the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) examination at 281 centres in the state, including 242 candidates at eight private school centres.