KUCHING: In order to limit the number of children at kindergartens (tadika) at any one time, options such as having two daily sessions or on alternate days can be applied.
Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah explained that the first option for tadika with a large number of children was to have two sessions in a day – a morning session and an afternoon session.
“They can also do alternate days. The option chosen is based on the discussion and agreement between parents and the operator,” she said during a press conference at her ministry’s office at the Baitul Makmur Building, Petra Jaya on Tuesday.
Another option, she said, was to make use of spare rooms at the tadika so that there would be fewer children per room.
She said that under normal circumstances, a maximum of 25 children was allowed per standard-sized room. However, due to the current situation, the maximum limit was halved.
“Around 10 (children) is advisable if the space is of a standard size. The limit is dependent on the size of the room,” she said.
Meanwhile, she said that based on her ministry’s experience with the reopening of taska (nurseries) on June 9, only about 50 percent of parents sent their children to the taska in this first week.
Fatimah emphasised that it was the parents’ decision whether or not to send their children to taska or tadika just yet.
As of June 9, there were 2,865 tadika in Sarawak with a total of 78,225 children enrolled.
According to a survey by her ministry on the preparedness of private tadikas to resume operations, 98 percent were ready to do so.
