Maraini Jaafar
BINTULU: The Bintulu Childcare and Early Childhood Educators Association hopes that the Covid-19 vaccination for 5,703 educators and caregivers of kindergartens and nurseries in the state would be able to boost the confidence level among working parents to send their children to the centres.
Its president Maraini Jaafar expressed her gratitude to the commitment of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah and the state government in recognising them as frontliners to be given priority to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.
She said it was a very good initiative and a huge relief to early childhood educators in ensuring total protection not only for them but most importantly to the young children under their care.
“As a Sarawakian and involved in early childhood education, one of the industries needed to operate during the pandemic, the move of the state government to recognise early childhood educators as frontliners for the vaccination should be emulated by other states to ensure that the young children who are the high-risk group can be protected while they are in the centres,” she said.
Maraini said as private operators, they faced financial challenges during the pandemic to cover their operating expenses as the number of children at the centres was relatively low, but with the vaccination programme there is hope for recovery.
On March 15, Fatimah said a total of 5,703 educators and caregivers at kindergartens and nurseries will be given priority to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.
She said during the first early Childhood Development Council meeting on March 9, it had been agreed that the ministry would apply to the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) to give priority to early childhood education institution educators and caregivers as frontliners.
Fatimah added the agreement was made by taking into account the duties of early childhood educators and caregivers who have to make physical contact with young children.
Meanwhile, Maraini said the kindergartens and nurseries would strictly comply with the standard operating procedure to ensure the staff and children are safe and healthy.
“However transparency from parents and every family member that they comply with the SOP at home and not hiding information if there are family members exposed to the risk of Covid-19 infection is very important.
“We also hope that in ensuring that our young children in kindergartens and nurseries are protected, their parents also get the Covid-19 vaccine to ensure that everyone is protected and taken care of,” added Maraini.
She also welcomed the Special Annual Grant of RM5,000 announced by Fatimah for registered early childhood education institutions in the state.
The grant helps the early childhood education institutions in providing a healthy and balanced diet for children under their care, developing fun learning and digitisation of childcare and guidance, as well as for programmes involving parents, competency programmes for educators and caregivers, payment of rents and employee salaries especially during Covid-19 pandemic, purchase of equipment, furniture and electrical goods and minor repair works.