Childcare in malaysia

What more can we say? There is a high demand for quality childcare in Malaysia. Statistics show that 14% of the population can afford quality childcare but the supply is still less than the demand.

Safety in Childcare – Global Issue

Parents are more concerned of safety and security of their children. The safety and security issue again? I guess this concern is global. Read this recent news report.

PRE-SCHOOL PROBE Police investigation into ‘serious incident’ involving child at private nursery

POLICE have launched an investigation into a ‘serious’ incident involving a child at a nursery.

One person has been arrested and released on bail after an allegation was made at the Jack and Jill nursery school in Torquay, Devon. Police said the family of the child had reported the matter.

Letters have been sent to the parents of 52 pupils at the nursery. Devon and Cornwall Police said: “Police are investigating allegations of a recent incident at Jack and Jill Nursery, Torquay.

“The family of the child involved is aware and reported the matter to police.”

One person has been arrested in connection with this incident and has since been released on police bail until 27th August.

Affordable, Quality Childcare Out of Reach

The other consideration is always affordability. There is just that much in our household budget to prioritise expenditure. I guess, baby and children gets top priority. Don’t you think so?

Read this news report.

KUALA LUMPUR: PARENTS are caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to balancing childcare and financial stability. Speaking to a few parents, the New Sunday Times has found that although some parents want professional care and education for their children the moment they are born, financial constraints or convenience often lead parents to send their children to unregistered home-based babysitters. Some parents also send their children to unregistered nurseries despite knowing the risks.

A Tough Decision on Childcare

An interior designer from Gombak, who wants to be known only as Muna, 28, says she sent her 2-year-old daughter to a nursery only two months ago. Previously, the toddler was sent to a home-based babysitter. Muna admits that when she visited the nursery and chose it, its legality and whether it was registered with the Welfare Department was the last thing on her mind. The centre ticked all the right boxes: good location, conducive environment, friendly teachers and, most importantly, affordable. Muna’s husband had asked whether the centre was registered after the tour. The principal gave an excuse, saying the centre was in the process of being registered as it had changed its name. This, Muna says, made her concerned.

She says she wanted to cancel her daughter’s registration immediately, but after thinking long and hard for a few days, she decided it would be “okay” as she did not have better options.

“I told myself I would check with them on the registration status and with the Welfare Department later once they say they have been registered. Other nurseries were either too expensive or too far from our home and office. It was difficult, but the centre’s management updates us constantly on WhatsApp and it gives me a sense of relief when I’m at work.”

A View on Childcare by Nanny

Bank executive Alyaa Ramli, 29, admits she is unaware that there are unregistered nurseries, assuming that it is mandatory practice for centres to get registered before they open for business. Alyaa first sent her baby to a home-based nanny. She says she felt comfortable doing so as babies needed more attention, but as her baby grew into a toddler, she decided it was better to go to a proper nursery. Nannies may have a different style of caring for your child. You don’t want your child to learn unfavourable things. Most nannies don’t teach children under their care, so it’s not good for the child’s social skills and development. Alyaa sent her daughter to a nursery when she began walking. Despite being unsatisfied with the school, it nevertheless fulfilled her needs on location, cost and student-teacher ratio.

Montessori Childcare

“If cost is not an issue, I will choose Montessori over a normal kindergarten. But the fact stands that the places of my choice that have openings are either too far or too expensive. KIn a perfect world, I would have sent her to a Montessori centre, where I assume the teachers went for early childhood education courses, unlike normal kindergartens, where I doubt the teachers have legitimate qualifications. It all boils down to affordability and convenience.”

Alyaa says quality childcare facilities are not only expensive, but also scarce, while “average” childcare centres are easily available, but are of questionable quality.

“Are the teachers qualified? Have they gone for training on how to handle kids? Does the government or owners care about this? Do the teachers mind their manners, knowing that the kids could imitate them? I doubt it. Why? Because you can see it in the kids’ behaviours. They spend eight to nine hours at the daycare and they adopt whatever the teacher teaches or does.

“I see more well-behaved children in a quality kindergarten.”

Preference for Registered Childcare

Lawyer Gary Lee, 35, from Petaling Jaya, Selangor, says financial ability plays a major role in determining where children are sent to when the parents work. He says although everyone wants to send their children to the best schools, cost is a major stumbling block. He says he is fortunate to have family support to help care for his children at home as opposed to sending them to nurseries and kindergartens as it would cost him and his wife quite a lot. He says there are a lot of unregistered childcare centres, but the issue is with the parents’ spending power and the demand from them. He says since many parents cannot afford to send their kids to good childcare centres, they are forced to send them to illegal ones, adding that since there is a demand for them, coupled with lack of enforcement, unregistered facilities will continue to exist. Lee urges the government to be more proactive in handling illegal childcare centres as children are the future. He, however, acknowledges that it is easier said than done. High quality and affordable childcare is hard to find in Malaysia.”

A Final View on Childcare

Security, affordability and making the right choice. Parents must face these challenges head on. Hopefully that choice will be sustainable on the household budget in the near future.

We must accept the really T that change is constant. Thank you for reading or listening. Stay tuned.