LABUAN, Jan 28 — The Ministry of Education’s (MOE) plan to amend the Education Act 1996 to make it mandatory for parents to send children to school until they complete Form Five was timely, according to social activist Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.
He said the move was a great help in particular to the children to have equal opportunity in education.
However, he said the ministry must first come up with suitable mechanisms to assist parents in the low-income bracket to be able to send their children to school.
“It is a good move to amend the existing act. Nevertheless, we must first look at the financial situation of parents.
“Financial constraints are always the core factor of parents unable to send their children to school, other than having problems with school bus’ fees, daily meals and other school necessities.
“As such, the government might have to come up with financial schemes like a punitive fund to help those parents,” he told a press conference after the closing of Seminar on Occupational Health and Safety Management here today.
Lee said the ministry must also convene dialogues with parents through parent-teacher associations to listen to their opinions on the move.
Yesterday, Deputy Education Minister Yeo Nie Ching said that her ministry was reviewing the Act to make it mandatory for students to stay in school until Form Five. — Bernama
