KUALA LIPIS, Jan 15 — A special agency that will monitor and regulate all early childhood education institutions in the country is expected to be set up within two years, said Women, Family and Community Development Deputy Minister Hannah Yeoh.

She said the government had started discussions with all the ministries that regulated various early education institutions.

They included her ministry that regulated the childcare centres (Taska) for toddlers up to four-year-olds, she said.

Other ministries involved are the Ministry of Rural Development which regulates the Taman Bimbingan Kanak-kanak or kindergarten (Tabika), the Ministry of Education (pre-school) and the Prime Minister’s Department (Unity Kindergarten).

"My intention is when we have a special agency, all the children’s syllabus, infra and menu could be refined so that we could control their progress in a more orderly manner,” she told Bernama during a working visit to Kampung Kuala Koyan Tabika Kemas here today.

The plan to gather all early childhood education institutions under one agency was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is also the women, family and community development minister, last November.

Dr Wan Azizah reportedly said that among others, the special agency would have the executive power to monitor the implementation of the early childhood education, coordinate and regulate all early education institutions in Malaysia, without sidelining the existing rights and responsibilities of each ministry and agency involved in early childhood education.

Hannah spent about 30 minutes listening to the issues of the Tabika Kemas that have 27 pupils from the Orang Asli community, she noted the lack of facilities at the premises, including obsolete equipment and toilets.

She said the issues would be extended to the Orang Asli Development Department to be resolved. — Bernama