|
|
|
Muhyiddin launches the ECCE - Early Childcare & Education Council on Thursday. Also seen is ECCE president Datuk Dr Chiam Heng Keng (left).
|
19th August, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR: Preschool teachers and childminders in the country will need to have better qualifications in future, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
He said the Education Ministry was in the process of drawing up mechanisms and requirements that would enable the teachers and minders to gain higher qualification in the near future.
Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister, said this was necessary because although the government had carried out various training programmes to raise the skills of these teachers and childminders, they were still inadequate to produce preschool teachers of world standard.
“The more knowledge that the teachers have, the more skilled will they be, and their functions as educators in the children’s formative and critical years will be more effective in the children’s development,” he said when launching the ECCE – Early Childcare and Education Council, here yesterday.
Citing an example, he said Russia had long given recognition to preschool education and their teaching manpower had doctorate qualifications or at least a master’s degree.
“This should be taken as an inspiration and a benchmark,” he said.
Muhyiddin said a scheme was also being studied so that the government could provide assistance based on certain scales to children from middle-income families to attend private kindergartens and preschool classes.
For the time being, the government provided a fee subsidy of up to RM150 per month for a child from poor families to attend private preschool classes.
He said that last year, a total of RM10.6 million had been provided to assist in paying school fees for 21,179 children from poor families to attend private preschool classes.
He said that government investment in child nurseries and preschool education was an appropriate move.
Realising the potentials of early education for children, he said the sector was also one of the 13 initiatives under the National Key Economic Areas (NKEAs).
Meanwhile, ECCE Council President Datuk Dr Chiam Heng Keng said the body would strengthen the governance of the ECCE industry through professionalising and assuring quality control of the industry.
She said the Council was working with the Housing & Local Government Ministry on a project to have a one-stop centre to facilitate registration of child care centres and preschools and reduce the approval process to 14 days.
“The guideline is expected shortly to be submitted to the Cabinet for approval,” she said.
Speaking to reporters later, Chiam said the Council would initiate several move, including giving accreditation to the centres according to the level of quality of services and professionalism provided.
A nationwide roadshow beginning end of the year to create awareness among the public, especially parents on the importance of early childhood education will also be held, she added.
|
