Page 52 - nhms2016 maternal and child findings

38
National Health And Morbidity Survey 2016 : Maternal And Child Health (MCH) Volume II : Findings

6.4. Early Childhood Care and Education

Contributors : Rajini Sooryanarayana, Rosliza Abdul Manaf, Shubash Shander Ganapathy, Nik Mazlina Mohammad,
Norazizah Ibrahim Wong, Tahir Aris

6.4.1. Introduction

The national education system, through the Malaysian Education Act 1996 aims to provide quality
1
care and early education to pre-school children. The National Education Policy 2012 focuses upon
growth and development holistically to include physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual and social
2
development of children from birth to 4 years of age. A structured system with a curriculum in place
as prescribed by the Ministry of Education aims to ensure that children aged 4 to 6 years receive
compulsory pre-school education provided by government, private or non-governmental agencies.

Pre-school attendance and early childhood programmes are important as they may influence
readiness of children for primary school. Early childhood programmes offered by private and
governmental providers have an organised learning structure. This is in comparison to baby-sitting
and day-care services which usually do not have a structured learning system in place. In Malaysia,
a structured programme for children below five years of age is not compulsory as it is not part of the
government policy. However, various governmental and private agencies have taken the initiative to
provide these facilities to meet the growing needs in the population.

With the influx of technology into our daily lives and lesser reading habits among the general
3
population, it is important to ensure that children are given the best stimulus for their brains in terms
of reading materials, toys, and more importantly, the engagement with children themselves. Previous
research highlights the importance of verbal interaction between the children and caregivers, as well
as better quality of care, as having a positive association with young children’s social and cognitive
development. 4,5

In this survey, information on various activities supporting early learning was collected. These included
involvement of adults in reading or looking at books together with children, playing together with
various types of toys, telling stories to or singing songs with the child, besides going outdoors to play
(Table 6.4.2.2). In addition, detailed information on the availability of reading materials appropriate
for the children’s age and the types of toys are also reported (Table 6.4.2.3).

6.4.2. Findings

On average, only half of children aged 36 to 59 months attended an organised early childhood
education programme (53.1%, Table 6.4.2.1). Children from 48 to 59 months were twice as common
to receive early childhood education compared to the younger age group. Overall, attendance to
early childhood education did not differ by gender and marital status of the mother. In terms of
ethnicity, the highest proportion of children aged 36-59 months attending an early childhood education
programme was among the Chinese (73.6%), followed by Indians (59.6%), Malays (51.4%), other
Bumiputeras (37.5%) and other ethnicities (42.3%). Parents’ education level seems to have an
influence in their decision to send their children for early childhood education. The highest proportion
of children receiving early childhood education was reported among children with parents who had
higher education background. A higher proportion of working parents from the public and private
sectors appeared to send their children to these programmes, compared to self-employed or
unemployed parents. Similar findings were noted among parents with higher earning.

1 Attorney Generals Chambers Malaysia. (1996). Education Act 1996. Retrieved from
http://www.federalgazette.agc.gov.my/outputaktap/20150709_A1490_BI_A1490%20BI.pdf.
2 Ministry of Education Malaysia. (2012). National Education Policy. Retrieved from http://www.moe.gov.my/userfiles/file/BUKU%20DASAR.pdf.
3 Shahriza Abdul Karim, N., & Hasan, A. (2007). Reading habits and attitude in the digital age: Analysis of gender and academic program differences in
Malaysia. The Electronic Library, 25(3), 285-298.
4 Duncan, G. J. (2003). Modeling the impacts of child care quality on children's preschool cognitive development. Child development, 74(5), 1454-1475.
5 Phillips, D., McCartney, K., & Scarr, S. (1987). Child-care quality and children's social development. Developmental psychology, 23(4), 537.