73,843 children enrolled in preschools, early childcare centres as of Oct 31

KUCHING (Dec 3): A total of 73,843 children enrolled in 2,715 preschools and 233 early childcare centres across Sarawak as of Oct 31 this year, said Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.

The Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development stressed that early childhood development remained the cornerstone of nurturing quality human capital and ensuring long-term community wellbeing.

“I am pleased to inform this august House that 98.46 per cent of Year One pupils in Sarawak attended preschool before entering primary school.

“The ministry is committed to ensuring every child has access to early learning opportunities, with the ultimate goal of achieving 100 per cent participation by 2030,” she said in her ministerial winding-up speech at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting here yesterday.

Fatimah added that the state government has increased the allocation for the Tadika and Taska Fee Subsidy Scheme from RM2.5 million to RM4 million.

“This year, the Ministry introduced a RM100 registration subsidy for each Sarawak child under the Annual Special Grant (GTK).

“A total of 3,974 children have benefited from the fee subsidy this year. These measures are instrumental in enabling working women to participate more actively in the workforce,” she said.

She also highlighted that 374 teachers, caregivers and early childhood practitioners attended the Sarawak Preschool International Convention (SPIC) 2025 in person, with another 1,243 participants joining virtually from across Malaysia and abroad.