KUCHING: Sarawak has achieved near-universal preschool access, with 98.9 per cent of current Year One pupils having attended preschool before entering primary school.
Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister, Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, said despite the high participation rate, the state cannot overlook children who have yet to benefit from preschool education.
She said attention must now turn to identifying these children and the barriers preventing them from accessing early childhood education.
“In the spirit of our theme, ‘Child Matters’, we must not look at 98.9 per cent simply as a statistic to celebrate.
“Instead, it should prompt us to ask: What about the remaining 1.1 per cent? Who are these children? Where are they? And what barriers are preventing them from accessing preschool education?” she said.
She said this in her opening address at the Sarawak Preschool International Convention (SPIC) 2026 at The Waterfront Hotel here today.
Fatimah said some children may live in rural or remote communities, face socioeconomic challenges or require additional support to participate fully in early childhood education.
She said the state must therefore continue working towards ensuring every child has access to quality preschool education regardless of their circumstances.
“Our achievement of 98.9 per cent should give us not only confidence in how far we have come, but also a renewed sense of responsibility to go further – until every child, wherever they are and whatever their circumstances, has the opportunity to benefit from quality early childhood education.
“But then again, how about those who are not in Primary 1? That’s another matter for us to solve,” she said.
Fatimah said access must also remain affordable and sustainable for families while enabling providers to maintain the quality of their services.
She said the state government continues to support families and providers through the Tadika and Taska Fee Subsidy and Special Annual Grant.
She added that the state’s next phase of early childhood care and education (ECCE) development will focus on three priorities – access, equity and quality.
“Access, so that every child, regardless of where they live, has the opportunity to benefit from early childhood education.
“Equity, so that children of different abilities, backgrounds and circumstances are given the support they need to participate and thrive. And quality, so that access to ECCE is not merely about having a place in a Tadika or Taska,” she said.
As of August 31, Sarawak has 2,949 ECCE institutions comprising 2,719 Tadika and 230 Taska.
The institutions collectively cater to 72,136 children across Sarawak, with 5,796 teachers and educators supporting the sector.
