Malaysian Early Childhood Care and Education Policy Review PDF

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Curriculum Development Centre Ministry of Education Malaysia Early Childhood Care and Education Policy Implementation Review 2007 24 Jan 2008 1 ppk/ups/nsb/ECCE Policy Review 24 Jan 2008 CONTENT page Executive Summary Abbreviation Used 5 1.0 Introduction 6 2.0 Country Profile in ECCE Prescool Educat...

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Curriculum Development Centre Ministry of Education Malaysia

Early Childhood Care and Education Policy Implementation Review 2007

24 Jan 2008

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ppk/ups/nsb/ECCE Policy Review 24 Jan 2008

CONTENT page Executive Summary Abbreviation Used

5

1.0

Introduction

6

2.0

Country Profile in ECCE Prescool Education for the 4-6 years old The History of Preschool Education in Malaysia Preschools in the Ministry of Education Preschools set up by Ministry of Rural and Regional Development Preschools set up by Department of National Unity and Integration Preschool Education for the Special Children Preschools run by Private Sectors and NGOs Childcare centers for the 0-4 years old The history of childcare centers for children aged 0-4 Workplace Childcare Centers Community Childcare centers Permata Childcare Centres

2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 3.0

Purpose of ECCE Policies Implementation Review

4.0

National Constitution, Policies, Laws and Legislation on ECCE Convention on the Rights of the Child Child Act 2001 (Act 611) Childcare Centres Act 1984 and Childcare Centers Act 2007 The Early Childhood Care and Development Policy 2007 Education Act 1996 Education Act 1996 (Regulation of Special Education 1997) The National Education Policy The 9th Malaysia Plan – Education Development Master Plan, 2006-2020 The National Action Plan of Children Healthcare Policy National Child Protection Policy National Policy on Disabled Child National Policy on Indigenour Child Financial Assistance to the Poor Conclusion

4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14

5.0

8 9 9 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 15

16 16 16 17 18 19 20 20 22 24 25 25 26 26 26 27

Methodology

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A)

EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION

6.0

Expenditure on ECCE

7.0 7.1

7.2

7.3

8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4

9.0 9.1 9.2 9.2.1 9.2.2 9.2.3 9.2.4 9.3 9.3.1 9.4 9.4.1 9.4.2 9.4.3 9.4.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 10.0 10.1

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Accessibility of ECCE ECCE for the 0-4 years old - Types of Childcare Center - National Participation/Enrolment - Participataion by sex ECCE for the 4-6 years old - National Enrolment - Enrolment in Private Preschool - Enrolment by State - Primary One Students with ECCE Experience - National Enrolment by Locality: Urban and Rural - Participation by Sex Participation of the Private Sectors in ECCE Conclusion Equity – Early Childhood Education for the disadvantaged group Children with disabilities Indigenous children Refugee children Children of inmate Conclusion Quality of ECCE Program Early childhood care and development program for 0-4 years old The national preschool curriculum for the 4-6 years old and its implementation Implementation of NPC by the MOE preschools Implementation of NPC by KEMAS Implementation of NPC by PERPADUAN preschools Implementation of NPC by the private preschools National preschool curriculum for special needs children and its implementation Implementation of the special needs children preschool curriculum Training of Teachers and Helpers Training of childcare providers and childcare minders Training of preschools teachers Training of special education teachers Training of community-based rehabitation workers Teacher-Student Ratio Teachers‟ Salary Physical facilities and materials in childcare and preschools Monitoring and Evaluation of Early childhood Care and education A standard procedure in the process of curriculum development

3

37

38

44 45 46 46 47 53 54 54

55 56 57 61 62 63 68 69

70 71 74 75 76 76 77 78 78

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10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5

11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4

B)

79 79 81 81

Integration in Implementation of ECCE Policies Procedure of registration Different implementating agencies Issue of planning for location of ECCE centers Publuic awareness and dissemination of information Conclusion

82 82 82 83 84 84

HEALTHCARE

12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5

Accessibility to Early Childhood Health Care Primary Child Health Services Immunisation School health services Baby-friendly hospital Oral health

85 87 87 88 88

13.1 13.2 13.3

Equity – Early Childhood Healthcare for the Disadvantaged Children of Poverty Children with special needs Children with HIV/AIDS

91 92 95

13.0

14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 17.0

Inspection of implementation of National Preschool Curriculum Quality of Teacher training Human‟s right The quality improvement accreditation system to rate childcare center

Monitoring and Evaluation of Early Childhood Healthcare Sanity and safety inspection of the childcare center Nutrition Surveillance Oral Health Indicators Health Outcome indicators Quality improvement accreditation system for the childcare centers Implementation gaps, challenges and disparities Preschool education Special education Healthcare Childcare centers Recommendations Disadvantaged children – Indigenours children Special children Healthcare Education National ECCE Policy Coordination Framework/Mechanism Conclusion Reference Technical working group Instrument

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96 96 96 97 97

99 101 103 105

106 106 107 108 109 110 111 113 115

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ABBREVIATION USED: CDC

Curriculum Development Center

ECCE

Early Childhood Care and Education

EFA EPRD

Education for all Education Planning and Research Division

JNS

School Inspectorate

KEMAS preschool

Preschool run by Department of Community Development, Ministry of Rural Development

MAPECE

Association of Professional Early Childhood Educators

MOE

Ministry of Education

MWFCD

Ministry of Woman, Family and Community Development

NGO

Non-governmental Organisation

NPC

National Preschool Curriculum

PERMATA ECEC Center

Early Childhood Education and Care Center set up through the project „Every Child is Precious as a Jewel‟

PERPADUAN preschool

Preschool run by the Department of National Unity and Integration

PTM

Association of Kindergartens Malaysia

TASKA

Childcare center

NAECCEM PPBM

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ppk/ups/nsb/ECCE Policy Review 24 Jan 2008

1.0

INTRODUCTION

Goal 1 of the UNESCO initiated Education for All (EFA) calls for better and more possibilities to support young children (age 0-6), and their families and communities, in all the areas where the child is growing – physically, emotionally, socially and intellectually. It also lays special emphasis on children who suffer disadvantage or who are particularly vulnerable, for example those living in poverty, HIV/AIDS, orphans, rural and minority children, and in some situations girls as a whole. Malaysia has always place great effort in ensuring education and care for all children. These efforts are manifested through the many sectors involving in ECCE and the amount of allocation given to ECCE each year. ECCE in Malaysia is broadly divided into two main groups, which is the 0-4 years old and the 4-6 years old. In Malaysia, early childhood care and family development is the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (MWFCD). MWFCD is the coordinator for national programs on the growth and development of children. Through its Department of Social Welfare, MWFCD registers all Childcare centers (TASKA, an acronym in the local language). TASKA offers care and education for children in the age group of 0-4 years old. Early childhood education for the 4-6 years old group falls under the responsibilities of three Ministries, i.e. Ministry of Education, Ministry of Rural and Regional Development, as well as Department of National Unity and Integration under the Prime Minister Department. Ministry of Rural Development is the pioneer in setting up preschools in Malaysia (beginning early 1970‟s), currently there are 8307 preschools set up by this Ministry which are commonly known as the KEMAS preschool. KEMAS preschools are located in rural or suburban and are set up based on request by the local authority. In the late 1970‟s Department of National Unity and Integration set up preschools in the urban areas where there are „Rukun Tetangga’, a friendly neighbourhood scheme, these preschools are generally known as the PERPADUAN preschools, PERPADUAN preschools must accept students from the different races, currently, there are 1496 PERPADUAN preschools. Ministry of Education (MOE) is the latest in setting up preschools. In the year 1992, preschool was set up by MOE in the form of pilot project as an annex to the existing primary school, in the year 2003, MOE preschool project was rolled out to whole nation; currently there are 5905 of these preschools which are situated all over the country. Other than MOE, KEMAS and PERPADUAN, other providers of preschool education include also the State Religious Department (JAIN) and the Islamic (ABIM). Various names are given to preschool education in the local language, e.g. the MOE‟s prasekolah, KEMAS Tabika, PERPADUAN Tadika, and the private kindergarten. To facilitate discussion, all would be known as preschool in this report. An overview of the composition of preschools according to the providing public agencies as of 2007 is given in Table 1. Diagram 1 and 2 provides an overview of percentage of preschool classes and students enrolled in the various type of preschools.

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Table 1: Three Main Types of Public Preschools in Malaysia 2007 Types of KEMAS preschool preschool Number of classes 8307 classes Percentage class) Enrolment

(by 52.9% 198,275

(962) (788) 3.58% 2.94%

MOE preschool 5905 classes

PERPADUAN preschool 1496 classes

37.9%

9.5%

147,625

38,952

KPM

(3,846) 14.33%

KEMAS PERPADUAN SWASTA JAIN

(8,307) 30.95%

(11,434) 42.61%

ABIM (1,500) 5.59% Diagram 1: Number of preschool classes according to the providing agencies (EPRD Study, 2008)

(14,413) 2.04%

(96,150) 13.6% KPM

(285,722) 40.43%

((

(22,158)(75,250) 3.14% 10.65%

(213,051) 30.15% PERPD

SWASTA

KEMAS

JAIN

ABIM

Diagram 2: Number of preschool students in the various providing agencies (EPRD Study, 2008)

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2.0

COUNTRY PROFILE IN ECCE

PRESCHOOL EDUCATION FOR THE 4 – 6 YEARS OLD 2.1

The History of Preschool Education in Malaysia

Early childhood care and education in Malaysia existed before the 1960‟s. The provider of this education then were mostly from the religious bodies or nongovernmental organizations; private kindergartens were not a common feature then. In the year 1972, Ministry of Education Malaysia, MOE drafted the Kaedah-Kaedah Guru/ Kaedah-Kaedah Kindergarten dan Sekolah Asuhan (Pendaftaran) 1972 Warta Kerajaan P.U. (A) 414 which provided the procedures to be adhered to regarding the registration of kindergarten, teachers and its board of governors. This was the first legal document concerning the registration of early childhood education. In the year 1971, Ministry of Rural and Regional Development started its first preschool known commonly as the Tabika KEMAS in accordance to an education act formulated by them and from then on they have expanded and today they are the biggest provider of preschool education in the country. In the year 1976, Department of National Integration and Unity too started its first preschool commonly known as the PERPADUAN preschools. In the 1980‟s preschools in Malaysia were built and managed by various government agencies such as KEMAS, FELDA, RISDA , Department National Unity, Religious bodies, Police and armies(Cawangan Pendidikan /Angakatan Bersenjata dan Polis), volunteering bodies and private sectors. Various programs were offered, different materials used, teacher‟s qualification differs too (PPK & BPPDP, 1986). The various agencies and bodies conducting preschool education felt that there was a need of guidance and assistance from MOE. MOE too saw the need to standardize and regulate preschool education in Malaysia. MOE was pioneering two major preschool projects at that time. These projects were the Projek Pendidikan Imbuhan managed by Curriculum Development Centre with help from the Yayasan Bernard Van Leer, a Dutch body. The other project is the Projek Kajian Pendidikan Prasekolah managed by Education Planning and Research Division with assistance from UNICEF. Experiences from conducting these projects culminated in the formulation of the 1986 Preschool Guidebook (Buku Panduan Prasekolah Malaysia 1986), the first formalized curriculum document of early childhood education in Malaysia. The aim was to provide guidance and assist coordination between kindergarten minders and to enhance the standard of Malaysia preschool education to be in line with global development at that time (PPK & BPPPP, 1986). On 13 Feb, 1992, the Permanent Committee on the Coordination of Preschool Education (Jawatankuasa Tetap (Induk) Penyelarasan Hal-Hal Pendidikan Prasekolah) decided that the 1986 Guideline should be reviewed to suit the current needs and development (KPM, 1993), subsequently the 1993 Guideline (Garis Panduan Kurikulum Pendidikan Prasekolah Malaysia, 1993) was produced. A package of preschool curriculum guidebooks were produced in 1992 too, this package consists of general guidelines, specific guidelines, detailed activities covering various areas, students activity books, reading materials, cards and building blocks. In 1992, 1131 preschool classes under MOE were set up as pilot project annexed to existing

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primary schools. Subsequently MOE started to build more preschool and in 2007, the number of MOE preschools classes stand at 5905, the second largest preschool providers after Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KEMAS preschools). In 2003, circulars were sent out to all preschools, public and private that they are required by the law to follow the National Preschool Curriculum developed by the Ministry of Education. 2.2

Preschool in the Ministry of Education Malaysia(MOE)

MOE sets up preschools to give opportunity to children whose family are with very low income in the sub-urban, rural and remote areas. It has been decided by policy makers that 80% of the classes are to be built in the rural areas, Classes are built annex to the public primary school building with the expenditure borne by Ministry of Education. This opportunity is given to children with the age 5+ years. Besides the launching grant given to start a class, MOE provides a yearly allocation of the following:  

Each child is given an allocation of RM 1.50 every school day for food, food is prepared by school RM 100.00 yearly per child for learning materials, each preschool class can receive up to 25 children, thus yearly, school can get up RM2,500 to buy teaching and learning materials

Preschool education was not regarded officially as part of the bigger system of national education system until 1996. Through the “National Education Act 1996 (Akta Pendidikan Kebangsaan 1996- Akta 550, 2005), preschool education is finally officially declared as part of the school system. All preschools/kindergartens regardless of public or private are required to implement the National Preschool Curriculum formulated through the Curriculum Development Centre, Ministry of Education beginning January, 2003. In addition to the National Preschool Curriculum, any private preschools wanted to implement any other curriculum or program need to seek permission from the Head of Registrar, which is the MOE. Medium of instruction used in any registered preschool can be the National language or any other language but the national language must be taught as a subject. A minimum requirement of 10 children age 4-6 years old has been set by Ministry of Education for starting a preschool class in public school. Preschool classes in MOE is still expanding and it is targeted that ultimately all National Primary School will have their own preschool class in near future. 2.3

Preschool set up by the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KEMAS preschool)

KEMAS preschools are set up by the Department of Community Development (Jabatan Kemajuan Masyarakat)to give opportunity to children that comes from suburban, rural and remote areas with family of very low income. Classes are conducted at the community halls (rented or provided free), housing estates, private property, shop houses (rented) or separate building built by the Ministry. This opportunity is given to children with the age 4-6 years. The minimum requirement for enrolment is 10 children per class and the maximum requirement is 30 children.

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The operating budget for KEMAS preschools comes from the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development. The allocation for each child is RM1.50 per day for food and RM100 per year for learning materials. An extra RM150.00 per year is given for extra food for very poor family. KEMAS preschools use the National Preschool Curriculum since 2003. Tadika KEMAS emphasises on reading, writing and arithmetic, developing individual potentials, instilling moral values, building character and self awareness, developing physical skill, health skill, cleanliness skill as well as safety skill. KEMAS preschools also place importance in creating conducive, cheerful teaching and learning ambiance as required in the National Preschool Curriculum. 2.4

Preschool set up by the Department of National Unity and Integration, (PERPADUAN Preschools)

PERPADUAN preschool was first set up in 1976 beginning with 25 classes. PERPADUAN preschools are not required to be registered under the Education Act 1961 because they are exempted under Warta Kerajaan P.U. (A) 276 dated 15 September, 1977. PERPADUAN preschools are set up in urban and suburban areas specifically in areas covered by „Skim Rukun Tetangga‟ – a friendly neighbor scheme. A Preschool Coordinating Committee made up of members of the local community is set up for each preschool class. This Preschool Coordinating Committee provides advice to the running of the preschool and at the same time organized various activities for the parents. Department of National Unity and Integration is currently under the care of the Prime Minister Department. The aim of PERPADUAN preschool is to nurture unity values from early stages to develop children who love their motherland and able to adapt themselves to live harmoniously in a multi-racial community. It also aims to encourage and give opportunity to young children‟s parents to interact and increase understanding among them. The general objective of PERPADUAN preschools are as below: o To nurture and foster the spirit of harmony, neighborliness, unity and nationality among children from different races. o To inculcate positive spiritual and moral values...