The Kulai MP said it had been two months since the government made the announcement but no lockers seem to have been installed yet.

“Instead, a primary school in Kuala Lumpur is offering lockers for students to keep their books for a fee of RM120 for eight months,” she said in a statement.

The school had outsourced the installation and maintenance of the lockers to a private company, she said, citing a previous FMT report.

“This clearly illustrates how the education ministry has miserably failed in solving the issue of heavy bags.”

Teo pointed out that she had asked the education ministry for a timeline on the installation of the lockers during the March 21 Dewan Rakyat sitting.

“Sadly, deputy education minister Mah Hang Soon could not provide any clarity,” she said, adding that Mah had said more study was needed to be done before any concrete timeline could be given.

On March 6, the ministry said it would provide lockers in primary schools, at a cost of RM37.3 million.

Education minister Radzi Jidin said the first phase would involve pupils in Year One, Two and Three in schools operating in dual sessions. It would benefit 323,186 pupils in 10,662 classes.

The second phase, expected to start next year, would involve pupils in Year Four, Five and Six in schools operating in dual sessions.

Teo said the ministry should provide a clear timeline as to when the lockers would be installed “before more parent-teacher associations resort to self-help by renting lockers for their students”.