(From third left) Fatimah, Radin, Dr Khairuddin (second right) officiating at the event.
SIBU: A total of 2,771 institutions have applied for the Sarawak Early Childhood Education Institutions Special annual grants as of Aug 27, according to Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.
She said that it was about 91.3 per cent from the total 3,035 pre schools and kindergartens that are eligible for the grant.
She said the government is currently in the process of disbursing about RM7.6 million to 1,531 institutions out of 2,771 applications received.
“This year, the state government has approved RM16 million Sarawak Early Childhood Education Institutions Special annual grant to be given to all registered taska and kindergartens.
“This allocation will benefit 3,035 registered taska and kindergartens in this state,” she said at the closing of Divisional Pre-School Carnival at University College of Technology Sarawak (UCTS) yesterday.
Fatimah said that the objectives of the grant was for free meal to ensure balanced diet for physical development and growth, fun learning and interactive activity and purchasing learning materials, parental involvement in children’s education and learning and professional development of teachers through lifelong learning.
She said that only institutions registered under state’s Education Department, Community Welfare Department, Community Development Department (Kemas) or National Unity and National Integration Department are eligible to receive the special annual grant.
“The application must be applied through the Ministry of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development.
“Only institutions which are still operating with a valid licence are eligible,” she said.
She said that the ministry is committed to ensuring that the development and the early childhood education in the state could achieve higher quality that could compete with the other nations.
Touching on ‘Bersih Awal, Bersih Akhir’ (BaBa), she said it is one of the programmes to instill good values, cleanliness outside and inside the class, daily self management and so forth.
“This programme is an idea from the ‘O-Soji’ programme implemented in Japan. This pilot project began in 14 pre-schools and kindergartens in the state last year.
““This year, the programme will be implemented in 200 pre-schools,” she disclosed.
According to Fatimah, there are 163 registered pre-schools as of July this year with a total of 2,390 children and 426 teachers.
Also present at the event were Sibu Education Officer Radin Foji Radin Abdul Rahim and vice chancellor of UCTS Professor Datuk Dr Khairuddin Abdul Hamid.