KUALA SELANGOR: Deputy Education Minister Datuk Chong Sin Woon (pic) has warned school authorities not to challenge a ministry circular regarding the usage of workbooks in primary schools. 

He said he has received complaints from parents revealing that some schools took advantage of a loophole by combining two or three workbooks together as one and sold to pupils at higher prices. 

''It seems like some schools are trying to challenge the ministry. 

''We will investigate and discussions are underway with top ministry officials on the proper action to be taken against the errant schools. 

''So don't challenge this,'' he told a press conference after launching the Students Aid Programme (SAP) by Eco World Foundation here Friday. 

Chong was responding to a question on parents' complaints where they had to pay up to three times more for a subject workbook which was much thicker than usual. 

The ministry circular ordered a reduction in pupils’ exercise books.

Chong had said in October that pupils from Year One to Three should not use workbooks, while pupils from Year Four to Six are only allowed one workbook per core subject – Mathematics, Science and Chinese or Tamil.

-The STAR-