KAPIT: Administrative officer in charge of social development at Kapit Resident Office Belayong Pok, called upon parents to provide an environment that is conducive for their children to be able to study at home.
“Education starts at home and parents are their children’s first educators before receiving their formal education.
“I have travelled to many longhouses and villages and one thing I observed was that many ‘bilik’ at longhouses doesn’t even have a proper desk and chair for their children to study at home.
“They (children) do their homework in front of the television and this is not conducive to learning.
“You have the money to buy large-screen television sets, expensive furniture and so forth but no proper desk and chair for the children to do their revision or homework.
“Hence from now on, I hope parents can help to make sure that there is a proper place for their children to study at home,” said Belayong while officiating at the Kapit division convocation ceremony for Tabika Perpaduan held at Dewan Sri Baleh here recently.
“Investment in education is the most worthy investment on earth because when children are successful in their studies and later become successful in life, the satisfaction and reward will be beyond compare.
“Thus, I call on parents to set priority on their children’s education and to play a responsible role in spending quality time with their children at home.
“Make sure that they do their revision and homework and they are only allowed to watch their television shows after they completed their homework.
“It is important to spend one or two hours a day to accompany your children in their studies because when you are around to supervise them, they tend to be more serious. This way, you are spending quality time with them”, added Belayong.
Belayong explained that today’s children are very lucky because education is right at their door-step.
“When I was younger, there was no kindergarten and enrolment into Primary One in 1963 was only carried out once every two years at my village in Kanowit at that time.
“Therefore, parents must grab the opportunity provided by the government to send their children to attend pre-school,” he said.
Commenting on the Budget 2019 that was tabled on 2 November and also the State Budget 2019 on 5 November, Belayong said the Ministry of Education (MOE) was allocated the largest amount on the development of human resources.
“We hope for better infrastructure amenities in the school in the near future and also to improve the quality of education.
“This is very good for the country because we must tap into the full potential of our children in our effort to develop the nation” he said.
Meanwhile, officer in charge of Tabika Perpaduan Jendri Mangku disclosed that there were eight Tabika Perpaduan in Kapit and one in Song District.
A total of 85 students from eight pre-schools in Kapit received their certificates that day.
