CYBERJAYA: More than 100 private kindergarten operators have urged the Education Ministry to overhaul the licensing system for early childhood education into a single permit under one ministry.
The proposal aims to streamline the early childhood education system, which caused confusion after the ministry's announcement giving six-year-olds the option to enter Year One.
Gains Education Group director Zaliza Alias said early childhood education begins from birth until six years old.
"Currently, childcare licences for children from birth to four years old fall under the Social Welfare Department, an agency under the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.
"There is overlap because kindergartens for children aged four to six are placed under the Education Ministry," she said during an emergency meeting of the Malaysian private kindergarten operators' coalition here yesterday.
Zaliza, who is also a committee council member of the National Association of Private Educational Institutions, said operating licences for childcare or transit centres for children from birth to 12 years old are also placed under the Social Welfare Department.
This means, she said, a single kindergarten or childcare centre must have three different licences from two different ministries, each with different directions and regulations.
"This confuses operators, providers and parents," she said.
Zaliza said the cost of obtaining one licence starts from RM20,000, and each operator has to deal with at least three different agencies, including the Fire and Rescue Department, the Health Department and local authorities.
In addition, she said local authorities require every kindergarten and childcare centre to have a consultant, and they usually have their own panel of consultants.
Meanwhile, Brainy Bunch International Kindergarten and School founder Fadzil Hashim said the quality of children's education should be standardised under one umbrella.
"Entry into Year One at the age of six must begin on a small scale before being implemented nationwide.
"The Education Ministry needs to give at least one year for kindergarten operators to reorganise their business models and train teachers to ensure that more than 100,000 kindergarten teachers are not affected by the change," he said.
Fadzil said the ministry should hold consultations with private kindergarten operators and educators as they are the main drivers of early childhood education.
He added that parents, especially those from Generation Z, have shown panic reactions due to the lack of information on the implementation of diagnostic tests for five-year-old children.
He said private schools are also unprepared, as they were not referred to earlier regarding the implications of the test.
The Education Ministry must be more inclusive and transparent in implementing any new policies, especially those involving proposed screening tests and changes to the entry age for Year One.
Former education minister Dr Maszlee Malik said sudden changes without comprehensive engagement with stakeholders would only create anxiety among the public.
Maszlee said private kindergarten operators represent the majority voice as most parents send their children to private institutions for early childhood education. - NST
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