KOTA KINABALU: The payments that had been abolished for primary and secondary education should be explained clearly to parents and teachers to avoid any misunderstanding.
A teacher from Inanam Diane Scofield said the Ministry of Education should list down which payments they had abolished as there were many activities in school that needed a few ringgit in fees that were normally paid by the parents.
“We have the koperasi, we have sports day, we have working papers and many other activities. Some of the activities in school are paid under the school allocation and some are not. We do not want parents to come to school and scold the teachers for taking money from children for fees not included in the budget that was tabled by the Prime Minister,” she said.
Scofield, who is teaching history, said there were a few things that the students should buy for themselves but most parents would think that everything was free in school as what they had heard from the budget.
“By the end of the day, parents will go to the media and complain about the school for asking payment. I have experienced this and I am hoping that the abolishment of school fees must be well explained to the parents,” she added.
Meanwhile, Tenom Umno Youth chief Jamawi Jaafar said the budget announcement by Najib would stimulate education development in Sabah as the lower income group would not worry about their children’s exam and tuition fees anymore.
“Most parents in the rural areas are having difficulties in paying for their children’s fees. It is one of the main reasons why many children in the interior are uneducated. “An allocation of RM50.2 billion in education proves the commitment of the government to ensure the best education for the next generation,” he said.
Jaafar added that the special allocation for maintaining and expanding school buildings should be given to those in the rural areas as there were many wooden schools in need of assistance.
Meanwhile, the RM500 assistance to government retirees as tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in Budget 2012 is worth taking.
Dayang Hassan, a retiree who used to work at the Tawau Hospital, said the budget had brought good news to all 618,000 retirees throughout Malaysia.
“I welcome the assistance and thank the Prime Minister for the two per cent annual pension increment,” she said.
- The Borneo Post
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