The Borneo Post

RM6 mln spent to disinfect, prepare kindergart­ens, child care centres for reopening — Abd Latiff

-

PUTRAJAYA: The Ministry of Rural Developmen­t allocated RM6 million to disinfect and prepare equipment at all Department of Community Developmen­t (Kemas) kindergart­ens and child care centres nationwide as a precaution­ary measure against Covid-19, said Rural Developmen­t Minister Datuk Dr Abd Latiff Ahmad.

He said the Kemas kindergart­ens and child care centres would use the rotation a endance system, whereby only 50 per cent of the children would be present daily based on the size of the premises so that social distancing could be practised.

“The children will a end classes every other day. For kindergart­en children aged five and six, four-hour online classes will be conducted for those who do not a end classes,” he told reporters a er visiting the Bunga Raya Kemas Kindergart­en and Child Care Centre at Presint 11 here yesterday.

Commenting on the RM6 million allocation, he said it included the cost of disinfecti­ng all 520 Kemas child care centres involving 9,575 children aged between two and four and 10,910

Kemas kindergart­ens involving 218,177 preschoole­rs.

It also included the provision for thermomete­rs, disinfecta­nt liquid, face masks and disinfecti­on equipment.

On the rotation a endance, Abd Latiff said only 46 out of 113 children registered at Bunga Raya Presint 11 kindergart­en were present yesterday.

“Prior to the implementa­tion of the Movement Control Order (MCO) in March, the kindergart­en had four classes of 28 children each. But now each class has only 15 children,” he explained.

Meanwhile, only 22 out of 35 children had registered to a end the child care centre during the

Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) period, but only 16 children were present today.

On the first day of the reopening of the Kemas kindergart­en and child care centre, Abd Latiff also watched the children being taught to use the disinfecta­nt liquid and told not to put their fingers in their mouths.

In another developmen­t, he said the ministry was considerin­g se ing up private Kemas kindergart­ens for families in the M40 group as there was a high demand for them, especially in Putrajaya where there are many working couples.

“Some parents also lost the eligibilit­y to send their children to Kemas kindergart­ens perhaps because the husband is an officer while the wife works as a support staff. They can’t send their children to Kemas kindergart­ens, which charges RM20 per child, as they are not in the B40 category anymore.

“Perhaps, Putrajaya can become a pioneer in se ing up private Kemas kindergart­ens which charge lower fees compared to other private preschools,” he said. — Bernama

 ?? — Bernama photo ?? Abd Latiff (right) applies hand sanitiser on a student, Faruq Faruqi Mohd Fitri during his visit to Bunga Raya Kemas Kindergart­en and Child Care Centre at Presint 11 in Putrajaya.
— Bernama photo Abd Latiff (right) applies hand sanitiser on a student, Faruq Faruqi Mohd Fitri during his visit to Bunga Raya Kemas Kindergart­en and Child Care Centre at Presint 11 in Putrajaya.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Malaysia