Helpful money: The Education Ministry said Budget 2024 allocated RM788.13mil specifically for the purpose of BAP, with RM150 to each pupil on a one-off basis. — AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star
PETALING JAYA: Having a targeted approach for Early Schooling Aid (BAP) is more beneficial than giving money to all pupils regardless of their economic status, say parent groups.
Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) chairperson Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said while any form of early school aid was welcome, it would be better utilised if allocations were targeted at the lower income groups.“If aid is given to lower income groups, bigger amounts over and above the RM150 aid can be offered. This will be in line with the Madani concept of equity, fairness and justice,” she said.
Noor Azimah voiced concerns over the possibility of pupils themselves pocketing the aid, with the money not reaching parents who were in need. “Make parents collect the aid personally,” she suggested.
Melaka Action Group for Parents in Education (Magpie) chairman Mak Chee Kin agreed that having targeted recipients would allow larger amounts to be given to those in need.
“The RM150 is too small an amount to help much. On the other hand, some people are getting double the aid that they do not necessarily need,” he said.
A better mechanism should also be worked out to ensure parents really spend the money on basic school necessities such as exercise books, stationery and uniforms, Mak said.
“Some may instead use the allocation to pay bills or other bread and butter items deemed more important to them,” he said.
An academic proposed a tiered system for giving BAP aid to students.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Centre of Education and Diversity senior lecturer Dr Anuar Ahmad said pupils from low-income households could perhaps be given between RM200 and RM250, middle-income households RM200, and T20 groups RM150.
“This will be more meaningful to the needy. Either way, the current allocation will still be helpful for all and ease the burden on households in purchasing education necessities,” he said.
On whether the RM150 was sufficient, Anuar said it would depend on the families themselves.
“For B40 families, it may not be enough, as pupils need not only uniforms but also co-curricular clothing and stationery. It would be good if the allocation could be increased in the future,” he added.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the BAP was for all students and pupils, regardless of socioeconomic class.
“We maintain it (the same) like last year,” she told reporters after launching the International Conference for Education Counsellors in Putrajaya yesterday.
She said parents of Year One pupils need not worry as their schools will have records of the children who will be receiving the aid.
On Oct 16, the Education Ministry said a total of RM788,130,000 had been allocated for BAP. It said the payment of RM150 to each pupil will be on a one-off basis and benefit about 5.2 million pupils.
“The BAP will be channelled from January 2024 through the school and distributed to students via cash or credit to their respective accounts,” it said in a statement.
On Monday, the ministry clarified that the BAP, consisting of a one-off RM150 cash aid, will continue.
This came after concerns about the lack of mention of the BAP during the Budget 2024 announcement last Friday.
