By Malcolm Lau
KUCHING, Mar 31: Education providers are asking for sufficient assistance from the government to ease their burden during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period.
“These centres are currently being pressured to give discounts or waive fees for the MCO period. To make matter worse, there is no indication whether this MCO will end on April 14 or whether it will be further extended,” said Michael Kong who is Special Assistant to Sarawak Democratic Party(DAP) Chairman Chong Chieng Jen in a press statement.
“Even if it ends on April 14 based on the announcement thus far, most parents would still not take the risk of sending their children back to the childcare centres, kindergartens and tuition centres immediately upon expiry of the MCO,” Kong added.
According to Kong, the education provider still has to pay full salaries to their teachers and some of the operators considered closing their centres if the situation continued.
“We understand that some other learning institutions are resorting to e-learning,” Kong noted, pointing out that e-learning was quite impossible for early childcare as it required more personal attention.
“This sector of the economy has substantial employees and if they start closing down, many will lose their jobs,” Kong said, urging the government to take quick action to help these education providers before they start closing down. —DayakDaily
