Back-to-School aid support brings relief, excitement for students, parents

KUCHING (Jan 7): About RM800 million has been allocated by the government for the one-off Early Schooling Aid (Bap) of RM150 to all students from year one to form six, beginning from Jan 11.

The Borneo Post found that parents have generally welcomed the aid, saying the assistance helps ease the financial burden of preparing children for the new academic year.

Muhammad Shakir, 42, a financial consultant from Shah Alam with an eight-year-old son and another on the way, has generally welcomed the aid, saying it is sufficient to cover basic necessities.

“It is enough for one set school uniform, PE T-shirt and track bottoms, stationery and some workbooks. Textbooks will be on loan from the school, so that helps.

“Honestly, I am not financially burdened, but the RM150 is welcomed and appreciated,” he said.

Commenting on the requirement for parents to collect the assistance in person at schools, Muhammad Shakir described the arrangement as practical.

“It’s a sensible approach to reduce red tape involved in transferring funds to individual accounts. From what I know, many parents also prefer receiving cash,” he said.

However, he expressed hope that crowd management would be well organised during the distribution period.

“I hope there will be proper crowd control. In the long run, it may be better to consider an e-wallet system instead of cash for security reasons,” he added.

Meanwhile, Victoria Jimy, 44, a compliance executive here and mother of two children aged 15 and six, said the assistance may not be sufficient but has a positive impact on families.

“Honestly, it is not enough, but it does help cover essentials such as stationery and school uniforms.
“Not every family can replace these items every year, but with the aid, at least some essentials can be renewed,” she said.

Victoria added that the assistance also brings excitement to children.

“I can see the excitement on my children’s faces when they get to choose what they want for their school equipment this year,” she said.

She also welcomed the in-person collection requirement, viewing it as an opportunity for parental engagement with teachers.

“At least I get speak with the teachers and understand their expectations for my children,” she said.

Victoria suggested that the government consider additional support, particularly for students sitting for major examinations.

“Maybe essential subsidies for exam-year students. Parents want the best for their children,” she said, adding that the programme could also be improved through discounts or bundled purchases tied to the incentive.

Both parents agreed that the assistance is helpful for families with more than one school-going child.

“It helps cover basic essentials. I know some families still have to ask siblings to share equipment because they cannot afford to buy items individually.

“Children feel more appreciated when they have their own things,” said Victoria.

Muhammad also expressed confidence that the Ministry of Education (MoE) continues to prioritise students welfare.

“My son is entering Standard Two next week, and from my experience so far, I believe the ministry is doing its best to ease the financial burden and support student welfare,” he said.

Earlier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the Finance Minister, announced the aid on Monday as part of government measures to ease household expenses and assist parents with early school-related costs including uniforms, stationery and supplies.