KUCHING: About 3,200 registered nurseries and kindergartens throughout Sarawak will benefit from the Sarawak Early Childhood Education Institutions Special annual grant this year.
Welfare, Community Well-Being, Women, Family åand Childhood Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said the RM16-million grant had been approved by the state government and each nursery and kindergarten would receive RM5,000.
“When we disburse this special grant, it will be used to purchase teaching and learning materials,” she said in a press conference after chairing a meeting on the Discourse on Early Childhood Development 2019 programme at Baitulmakmur building, Petra Jaya here yesterday.
She added that the funds would also be used to provide free meals to ensure the children have a balanced diet.
“The funds can also be used to cover transportation and accommodation costs of rural teachers to be sent for professional development programmes held in the city area.
“We want to make sure teachers outside Kuching benefit from any development programme that the ministry organises,” she stressed.
Fatimah added that the funds can be utilised to organise programmes that involve parents.
“Thus, the nurseries and kindergartens involved can plan how to use the grant that will benefit both the institutions and the children,” she pointed out.
She also disclosed that 91 percent of registered early childhood institutions have applied for the grant, and they need to specify what the funds will be used for.
On the Discourse on Early Childhood Development 2019 programme at Pullman Hotel, Fatimah said Head of State Tun Pehin Seri Abdul Taib Mahmud will be presenting the grants to three early childhood institutions on Sept 14 during the opening ceremony.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan will present the grant to another 10 early childhood institutions on Sept 15 during the closing ceremony.
