JOHOR BAHRU: A total of 523,342 students in Johor have received Early Schooling Aid (BAP), involving an allocation amounting to RM78.5 million.
State Education and Information Committee chairman Aznan Tamin said that the aid involved a total of 1,193 primary and secondary schools statewide.
“The distribution of allocation provided by the federal government was completed at the end of February.
“Apart from that, there will be additional early schooling aid to be provided by the state government, under the Bantuan Kasih Murid Johor programme,” he told reporters, after launching the programme here today.
Also present was the state education director Mohd Hanafi Samad.
Aznan said that the state government allocated RM2.8 million for the Bantuan Kasih Murid Johor programme, which will benefit 11,200 primary and secondary school students.
He said that the allocation was channelled to 56 state assemblymen, with each of them receiving RM50,000, which involves school supplies with a focus on aid given to students from underprivileged and asnaf groups.
“This is the wish of Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, to ease the burden of schooling expenses at the beginning of the year, borne by less able parents or guardians,” he said.
Meanwhile, parents, when met, expressed relief at the aid provided by both federal and state governments.
Nor Shima Hasan, 32, said that every year she and her husband would spend more than RM2,000 to buy school equipment as well as fees for their three school-going children.
“When there is help like this, we are very grateful,” said the mother of four, adding that the assistance helps her family with early schooling expenses.
K Jayraj, 40, similarly said that he has to spend more than RM700 a year just to buy school supplies for his four children.
“The government introduced several assistance initiatives, including assistance to reduce the burden on parents, which is good and I hope it continues,“ he said.
The Ministry of Education previously announced that the government will allocate RM788.13 million through the 2024 Budget, specifically for BAP, to benefit more than 5.25 million students. – Bernama
