BY AISYAH AZZAHRA SUHIRI
KUCHING: Fifty-six percent of registered Early Childhood Education Institutions (IPAKK) under the Ministry of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Early Childhood Development (KWKPK) received a RM5,000 Special Annual Grant (GTK) each.
“The GTK aims to ensure the wellbeing and safety of the children. The goal of this grant is to offer nurseries with high-quality early childhood education, which includes a well-balanced diet, fun learning, and childcare and guided digitisation,” said minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah.
“In addition, this grant also covers programmes involving parents, the competence of teachers and caregivers as well as to compensate for the rent and salaries of teachers and staff of IPAKK.”
She said this at the Plaque and Certificate of Registration handover ceremony at Taska Pondok Ilmu No. 2 here on Friday (Aug 6).
She added that the grant was also aimed at preparing for compliance with Post-Covid-19 standard operating procedures, minor repair works, and to purchase furniture and electrical goods.
“As of June 30, the ministry has given over RM7.9mil to 1,593 nurseries in the state. Meanwhile, at federal level, 78 nurseries in Sarawak are eligible to receive RM3,000 from the Pemulih package.”
Fatimah also revealed that 400 out of the 645 institutions had started operating along with 113 unregistered institutions as of Aug 5.
The 14th pre-school registered under IPAKK, Taska Pondok Ilmu No. 2, operated by Irene Tan Choon Loan, received RM5,000 from the ministry on Friday (Aug 6).
Also attending were Social Welfare Department Sarawak director Noriah Ahmad, JKMS Child Protection branch head Rohana Isnawi and JKMS Kuching Division officer Norhayati Abdul Rahman.
