29 Early Intervention Assistants complete child development support training in Oct

KUCHING: All 29 Early Intervention Assistants (EIAs) at Sarawak’s One-Stop Early Intervention Centres (OSEIC) are on track to complete an Executive Certificate Programme by October this year.

Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister, Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, said the training is part of efforts to strengthen the capabilities of personnel supporting children who require early intervention.

She said the programme is conducted with the Australian Institute of Technology Transfer (AITT), with sponsorship from Sime Darby Foundation.

“We want our Early Intervention Assistants to be properly skilled and properly certified.

“This is an important investment in our people because, ultimately, the quality of support received by a child depends greatly on the capability of the people providing that support.

“For the children and families they serve, better-trained practitioners mean more informed observation, more appropriate intervention, and stronger, more responsive support,” she said.

She said this in her opening address at the Sarawak Preschool International Convention (SPIC) 2026, officiated by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, at The Waterfront Hotel here today.

Fatimah said OSEIC plays an important role in providing structured early intervention services for children requiring additional developmental support.

From 2020 to May this year, she said OSEIC Kuching and OSEIC Dalat served 1,368 children, with 518 graduating from their programmes.

Of the graduates, 145 transitioned into mainstream Year One, 303 into the Special Education Integration Programme, and 70 into special education schools.

She said early intervention efforts are also being strengthened through developmental screening at SeDidik preschools.

She noted that Sarawak has continued to make progress in implementing the Digital TOY8 Developmental Screening and Intervention Programme across SeDidik preschools.

“It carries forward the goal set out in our Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, to build an inclusive society through data and innovation.

“It also gives practical effect to the Open Door Policy that SeDidik has long practised, welcoming children with diverse developmental needs into our preschools.

“Opening the door is the commitment. Screening and intervention are how we keep that promise once a child is inside,” she added.

To date, 140 SeDidik teachers have been trained and certified as developmental screeners, with screenings now conducted directly at preschools across Sarawak.

A total of 1,549 children from 92 SeDidik preschools have completed developmental screening, while 55 from the first cohort of 484 children screened have been identified to progress into the intervention programme.

Fatimah said children identified through screening would receive structured, school-based developmental support from trained teachers at the preschools they already attend.

She said linking screening with early intervention would provide continuous support throughout the preschool years and help build stronger developmental foundations before children enter primary education.