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PM Wants Quality Early Education For Rural Children As Well |
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Tuesday, 22 May 2007 |
KEPALA BATAS, May 20 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today called for quality early education to be provided also to rural children in the quest to mould academically bright individuals who had a rich personality.
He said every educational opportunity provided in the urban areas should also be made available in the rural areas so that the rural children did not become isolated from mainstream development.
"Rural children are not mentally weak. They should also be provided with good educational opportunities and be allowed to grow in a proper environment of happiness and love," he said when launching the "Pusat Anak Permata Negara," an early childhood education and care centre, in Kubang Menerung, here.
The "Pusat Anak Permata Negara" pilot project has also been launched in Mempaga, Subang Jaya and Putrajaya and would be launched next month in Chini. The programme, implemented under the Ninth Malaysia Plan with an allocation of RM20 million, will be expanded nationwide soon.
Abdullah said childhood educational programmes such as the "Pusat Anak Permata Negara" would not be successful without the support of parents.
He said parents were the first teachers of children and that their attitude, action and speech would set the example for the children from an early age.
The prime minister said children between the ages of one and five years went through an important phase of growth in their lives, whereby they were receptive and could be easily taught to garner new experiences.
Therefore, he said, parents should demonstrate a positive attitude and educate their children with love so that they would grow up in an environment of serenity and happiness.
"I believe that if children are given a good education, God willing, they will grow into admirable youngsters and become part of the nation's human capital," he said.
Abdullah said the government supported the "Pusat Anak Permata Negara" programme which gives early exposure to education and moulding of the personality, the thinking process and instincts, and added that parents should be enlightened on its positive values for the objectives to be attained.
"The method of education in this programme is good but when the child returns home, the parents block its mental development with various restrictions that check the child's eagerness to want to know and experiment.
"Do not snarl at a child when it is inquisitive or makes a mistake. Condition a child in a well-mannered way with love," he said, adding that the child would then accept the reprimand and obey its parents without question.
The "Pusat Anak Permata Negara" in Kubang Menerung and at the four other places were implemented as a pilot project in response to the prime minister's call to develop human capital with a first-class mind and noble values.
Also present at the function were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is chairman of the "Dasar Permata Negara" Coordinating Council, his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, who is chairman of the "Dasar Permata Negara" Executive Committee, Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin and Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon. |
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Last Updated ( Friday, 18 January 2008 )
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