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Have A Comprehensive Policy For Pre-School Education in Malaysia Statement by Dr Tan Seng Giaw, DAP National Vice-Chairman and MP for Kepong on the intention of Education Minister Tan Sri Musa Mohamad to explore the possibility of making pre-school education compulsory. 3.1.2000 | |||||||
| On 1 January 2000, the Education Minister Tan Sri Musa Mohamad said that his ministry planned to make it compulsory for five-year olds to attend kindergarten to enable them to enter colleges or universities at 18. Now, it is 19 or 20. He stressed the neeed to streamline the educational system to make it world class. Pre-school education is essential for a world-class education. Whether we study the model from the United States of America or the United Kingdom, we have to make sure that a model is created for Malaysia. The public and private sectors are equally important in providing pre-school education. The Government provides pre-school centres for urban and rural poor while the private sector concentrates on the urban children. By 1995, there were over 10,000 such centres with 420,000 5 to 6 -year olds. It has been forecasted that by this year about 65% children attend these centres. Although the Government allocates about RM25 million this year for pre-schools, | |
this is a paltry sum. There are many problems such as the lack of coordination between the public and the private sectors, the lack of trained teachers, the lack of centres, equipment and facilities as well as the perception of parents. The Education Act 1996 includes pre-school education. But, the determination (or the lack of it) of the ministry to implement it as part of the national system of education is causing concern. The tendency had been for the Education Minister to announce a grandiose plan without convincing follow-ups. Can the staff members cope? After the intensive and extensive study of pre-school education within and outside the country, we hope that the Education Minister will formulate a comprehensive policy for the purpose. If the Education Ministry only predicts 65 per cent chidren attending such centres, it is not possible to make pre-scool education compulsory. When can the country be ready to provide adequate centres for all children?
Dr Tan Seng Giaw | |||||
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