Educationists today welcomed MIC president S Samy Vellu's call on the government not to close down Tamil primary schools which are under populated but stressed that more needs to be done.

Lawyer and social activist S Pasupathy said the political party should cooperate with all concerned non-government organisations to identify these schools and work on their relocation.

"MIC should set up a task force with other NGOs and start working now. In the past, we were not able to do it, but now it is an opportunity to relocate the schools," he said when contacted.

The MIC president, who is also works minister, made the call after attending a Tamil Schools National Action Council meeting yesterday.

Samy Vellu revealed that 100 of the 526 Tamil primary schools in the country, have less than 30 pupils and highlighted the need to relocate them..

"We are taking the appropriate action from time to time to merge the schools," he was quoted as saying in an Oriental Daily news report.

Detailed study

Meanwhile, the president of the Malaysian Tamil Foundation M Manogaran said the government has the responsibility to provide Malaysians with the education of their choice.

"It is not negotiable. Even the government has no right to close down any school," he stressed when contacted.

He said in countries such as United Kingdom, vernacular schools are still run despite the financial constraints faced by the government.

On the merging of poorly-populated schools, Manogaran emphasised the need for a detailed study before such a move is undertaken.

"They (MIC) should study closely the problems that residents will face if their schools merge with those in other areas," he added.