More nurseries, kindies give better access to early education, says Fatimah

KUCHING (Jan 3): More children in Sarawak have access to early childhood education through the opening of more nurseries and kindergartens, said Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.

The Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister cited the enrolment of 98.7 per cent of children in 2023 as the highest so far in the state.

“For nursery and kindergarten statistics throughout Sarawak, access to early childhood education in 2023 is 98.7 per cent and this can be considered the highest percentage we have recorded.

“Previously in 2018, the percentage of children with access to early childhood education was 93.2 per cent followed by 97 per cent in 2019 and 97.2 per cent in 2020 and the following years,” she told a press conference after paying a visit to the Sarawak Social Welfare Department (JKM) SeDidik Workplace Childcare Centre (Taska) here yesterday.

Fatimah pointed out that the increase in percentage was due to the existence of new kindergartens throughout Sarawak, including workplace nurseries that gave working parents the opportunity to send their children to nearby facilities.

She said last year saw the establishment of three new workplace nurseries, with one at Menara SEDC, one in Puncak Borneo and the other at JKM Sarawak.

“This brings to a total of 20 nurseries at workplaces across the state so far and of that, 11 are under the management of Sedidik while eight are privately operated and one is under the Education Services Division of the Sarawak Islamic Council.

“There are still more to be established but we are still in the process of renovating the buildings.

“It is our hope that more nurseries will be established across the state because this is indeed a support system that working parents need so that they can place their children in a safe and conducive place while they work,” she said.

Fatimah said her ministry will continue to strengthen the early childhood education programme this year by adding value to existing programmes as well as introducing new ones to instil good values ​​among children.

She said the ministry will focus on programmes that include exposure to places outside of the kindergarten or nursery area so that the children can gain experience from visiting other places.

She also said that this year, seven new kindergartens and four new nurseries will start operating.

“I would like to remind caregivers, educators, nurseries or kindergarten operators to give opportunities to children who are starting their first day because we have to understand their feelings when they experience a big change from being at home to another place.

“For example, during the first week, please give them a chance to adjust to the new situation and allow their parents to be with them for a while before they head off to work. This is the focus of the first month,” she said.

In terms of approval for the establishment of a nursery or kindergarten, she added, it must comply with a number of matters set by relevant technical agencies including the safety aspect by the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department, and the food safety aspect by the Health Department.

“Apart from that, we must observe the ratio of teachers or babysitters to children, as well as the safety of the building,” she added.

Also present were Fatimah’s deputy minister Datuk Rosey Yunus and the ministry’s permanent secretary Noriah Ahmad.