MOE expanding preschool classes every year

GEORGE TOWN: The Education Ministry will open 129 more preschool classes nationwide this year to provide opportunities for more children to receive early education.

Its minister, Fadhlina Sidek said the number of pre-school classes is increased every year to increase the enrolment to 90 per cent, thus preventing student dropout.

She said there are currently 9,909 preschool classes nationwide, involving more than 200,000 students. The classes included 119 classes which were opened last year.

“We increase the number of preschool classes every year because of the high demand and also to ensure more students get free (preschool) education, especially those with special needs.,” she said.

She was met by reporters after opening a programme involving the Community Development Department’s (Kemas) kindergartens in Bayan Lepas near here on Sunday.

Fadhlina said the MoE also provides the Preschool Food Aid (BMP) initiative for all preschool students to help overcome the issue of malnutrition and multidimensional poverty. “It is also definitely closely related to the dropout narrative because of the enrol,emt at the preschool level, we need to make another leap to ensure that their entry into schools meaningful,” she said.

Yesterday, Fadhlina said the ministry had set up a special task force to streamline and standardise preschool reforms in the country.

She was quoted as saying that MoE’s agenda is to ensure that the curriculum and also preschool related issues such as in terms of learning and syllabus can be coordinated under the ministry.