KUCHING: The Early Childhood Development Division of the Ministry of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Woman, Family and Childhood Development (KPWK) is committed to achieving the 4th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG4) which is to ensure inclusive and equal education to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
The division’s head, Salina Bujang, said quality early childhood education is essential in community empowerment and socio-economic development towards a sustainable future.
Apart from using the National Preschool Standard Curriculum (KSPK) and the PERMATA National Curriculum, SeDidik Sdn Bhd – a firm which specialises in childhood education – also implements the Value Added Programme and Bitara Programme (Niche) as a holistic approach to shaping the young generation, she said.
“SeDidik’s Value Added Programme consists of Let’s Begin, English Fun Learning (EFL) Programme, Sunshine Balanced Reading Programme for English, Road Safety Education (PKJR), Preschool Civic Module, Early and Final Cleaning (BABA), Science-Technology-Engineering-Arts and Mathematics (STEAM), Inclusive Education Programme, Reading Seeds Programme, Dr. Glenn Doman Programmes for Babies and Toddlers and Sign Language Programme (Malaysian Sign Language BIM).
“SeDidik’s Bitara (Niche) programme includes Kinder Gardening, Kinder Gym, Kinder Music, Kinder ICT, Kinder Martial Arts, Kinder Culture and Arts, Kinder Environment and Thiflun Madaniyy,” she said.
For the year 2022, SeDidik has implemented the Sign Language Programme as a new Value Added Programme to foster the values of kindness, empathy and togetherness towards an inclusive society. SeDidik has trained children to sing Negaraku and Ibu Pertiwiku songs using Malaysian Sign Language (BIM).
Meanwhile, Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Woman, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah announced that in order to empower early childhood education, Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg has approved an allocation of RM15 million in special annual grants for 3,000 early childhood education and care institutes registered throughout Sarawak and maternity assistance and RM10 million for the Sarawak Endowment Fund.
