KUCHING: The Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Ministry will relook and review the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the registration of taska (childcare centres) and tadika (kindergartens).
Its minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said the review of the SOPs was necessary to facilitate the registration of taska and tadika in the state.
“We will review the SOPs at a workshop to be held sometime next week at Waterfront Hotel.
“Four taska and tadika associations will be joining us, namely Persatuan Pengasuh Berdaftar Sarawak (PBBS), Persatuan Pengasuh dan Pendidik Awal Kanak-Kanak Islam Sarawak (PAKIS), Persatuan Pengasuh dan Pendidik Awal Kanak-Kanak Sarawak (3PAKS) and Sedidik Sdn Bhd.
“Through this workshop, we hope to synchronise the requirements for both taska and tadika by only using one form,” she told a press conference at the ministry’s office here in Baitul Makmur building on Monday (June 29).
Fatimah added the registration process would be fine-tuned and streamlined during the workshop so that the licences to operate the taska and tadika could be obtained within 35 calendar days.
“The Land and Survey Department will assist operators and applicants on the do’s and don’ts for guidelines. The State Education Department has agreed to stop issuing temporary licences for tadika operators,” she added.
The other four technical agencies were the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), Sarawak Health Department, the local authority and Sarawak Social Welfare Department (JKMS) for taska, as well as the State Education Department for tadika, she added.
Stressing the importance of stringent measures to process the licences, Fatimah said the state government would not compromise the safety of the children.
“We need to ensure that the environment for children is safe and peaceful. This includes the location factor. It is not safe if the taska are located at busy T-junctions. For example, parents parking at the roadside will cause traffic problems at the busy junctions,” she added.
As of June 9, Sarawak has a total of 119 registered private day-care centres under the Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Ministry and 484 private kindergartens.
