MOE to study free-breakfast scheme for children in B40 group

PUTRAJAYA: The Ministry of Education (MOE) will look into providing free nutritious breakfast for children from families in the B40 group, its minister, Datuk Dr Maszlee Malik said yesterday.

The minister, currently in Japan accompanying Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is on a three-day visit to the land of the rising sun, said he came up with the breakfast scheme following a visit to the Itabashi Daiichi Elementary School, in Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, Monday.

“The three-hour visit provides me with an insight on the learning method to produce a generation with good character,” he said in a statement yesterday.

The ministry, he said, also planned to inculcate the culture of cleanliness and discipline among students since kindergarten.

Maszlee also visited Itabashi City Hall, where its Mayor, Takeshi Sakamoto expressed to have a twin city with Malaysia and to enhance cooperation in tourism and education.

“The Mayor of Itabashi City Hall is also keen to sponsor Japanese students to stay with foster families in Malaysia to get the unique experience living in Malaysia,” he added.

On his meeting with Japanese Minister of Education, Culture, Science and Technology, Masahiko Shibayama in Tokyo, Maszlee said their discussion touched on the setting up of some branch campuses in Malaysia by three Japanese learning institutions.

They are University of Tsukuba, Nippon Designers School and Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, he added.

He said if everything went according to plan, the Malaysian branch campus for the Nippon Designers School would begin operation next year, while that of University of Tsukuba to begin in 2020.

The Education Ministry, he said, would give its full commitment and support in realising the establishment of branch campuses for Japanese universities in Malaysia.