Degree requirement could result in higher kindy fees, says association

 

The education ministry’s initiative to ensure kindergarten teachers were degree holders is part of a new curriculum for kindergartens that will be implemented in 2026, according to its minister Fadhlina Sidek.

PETALING JAYA: 

Any new requirement for kindergarten teachers to be degree holders could result in parents paying higher fees, an association said.

Malaysian Association of Kindergartens chairman Eveleen Ling said fees would have to be increased if such a requirement is enforced to offset overhead costs.

Ling could not provide an estimate on the quantum of the fee increase but said any increment must be approved by the private education division under the education ministry.

She was commenting on the announcement by education minister Fadhlina Sidek last week that there were plans to raise the minimum qualifications for kindergarten teachers to degree holders.

The initiative is part of a new curriculum for kindergartens that will be implemented in 2026.

Ling said early childhood care and education providers are currently paid between RM1,500 and RM5,000 a month.

Once the revised minimum wage of RM1,700 comes into effect in February next year, their salaries would also increase.

She said another problem the requirement poses is that a considerable amount of time is needed for the teachers to acquire degrees.

“At the moment, many kindergarten teachers do not even possess diplomas because of financial reasons and accessibility.

“This is especially so for those living in the interiors of Sabah and Sarawak where there is no access to the internet or electricity for online courses,” she told FMT.

Some preschool education providers may also not have the financial ability to travel in and out of villages to attend courses.

Parent Action Group of Education Malaysia (PAGE) chairman Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim felt the requirement was “timely”, saying it would encourage diploma holders to “elevate themselves”.

However, Azimah said several factors needed to be considered, including cost and time.

“Who will be paying for the degree courses,” she said.

She also wondered if the current batch of kindergarten teachers would be able to keep their jobs while pursuing their degree programmes.

“And how much time will the teachers be given to complete the degree?”

What parents say

Sharifah Elysa Fatin, 32, said she was concerned about the possible increase in cost once the requirement is enforced.

“For me, diploma-level teachers are good enough as this is only kindergarten level,” the housewife said.

Procurement officer Ong Hui Zhen, 35, who pays RM850 for her child in preschool, felt it was not a necessity for kindergarten teachers to be degree holders.

“Instead, teachers must possess good characteristics, such as being caring, loving and patient towards children,” the mother of one said. - FMT