Mohd Safree Mohd Kassim
SIBU: Chairman of SMK Agama Sibu Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) Mohd Safree Mohd Kassim suggested that the government increase the RM100 schooling aid for each student to include fees for PTA starting this new school year.
“For example, the government or Ministry of Education can increase this allocation with additional RM30 or RM50 to be channeled to PTA for each student,” he told thesundaypost when contacted yesterday.
“In that way, parents or guardians would not be burdened by PTA fee,” he opined.
Mohd Safree was commenting on the call by National Parents and Teachers Association (PIBGN) president Assoc Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Ali Hassan that the ministry set a price cap for PTA fees based on parents’ ability to pay, location, type of school and consider exemption for parents from the lower income group (B40) or those with many children so parents would not be burdened by excessive fees in certain schools, especially in urban areas.
Meanwhile, National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) president, Kamarozaman Abd Razak, had suggested that a cap of RM50 be set for PTA fees, saying it was fair and not too taxing.
Mohd Safree concurred with capping fees but believed it best for the fees to be borne by allocation from the government or ministry as PTAs contribute to the development of education and school infrastructure.