KUALA TERENGGANU – The Terengganu government has been urged to expedite implementation of the education emergency aid to facilitate home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) process for the needy.
Terengganu Umno Youth chief Tengku Haphiz Tengku Putera said it should be implemented as soon as possible with a tablet for each family with at least two schoolgoing children.
He said certain criteria should be set for recipients of the aid, with priority to be given to B40 families in rural areas and with children sitting for major examinations.
“This emergency allocation can be obtained under the emergency ordinance by making amendments to several items in the 2021 state budget that was passed last year.
“For example, the allocation for education infrastructure, such as for the construction of Sekolah Rendah Islam Darul Iman and upgrading of the Terengganu College of al-Quran, can be shelved, and the allocation transferred for the emergency education aid,” he said in a statement today.
Tengku Haphiz said the assistance is much needed because many parents complain that they cannot afford to provide tablets, laptops or even smartphones for their children to follow PdPR sessions.
“Students do need a tablet each to ensure they can follow all learning modules.
“The Terengganu Sejahtera Education Fund can also play a key role in addressing this issue,” he said, adding that the RM50 million fund would help at least 65% of the 150,000 students in the state.
He said the state Umno Youth is prepared to share its experience in managing eBook, a school laptop programme implemented in Terengganu since 2009. – Bernama, January 25, 2021
