Fatimah: Community Learning Centres, not schools, for Indonesian children in plantations

Fatimah explaining the benefits of CLCs for both the company and foreign workers. – Photo by Chimon Upon

KUCHING (July 15): Sarawak will not open a school for Indonesian children like in Sabah but will instead establish Community Learning Centres (CLCs) in plantations, said Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.

The Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development said the CLCs will act as a temporary education institution for children, aged 7 to 12, of Indonesian workers with valid permits employed in plantations.

“With CLCs, it can be seen as a win-win situation for both the plantation company and the workers, as the workers of the plantation will be able to fully focus on their work, with them given reassurance on their children’s education.

“The premises for the CLC should be appropriate for teaching and learning purposes as it needs to comply with the regulations relating to aspects of safety and health, namely to promote a conducive environment for the children,” she told reporters after the courtesy visit by the Consul-General of the Republic of Indonesia in Kuching, Raden Sigit Witjaksono at her office in Baitulmakmur 2 here yesterday.

In citing this, she said education is the basic right for children regardless of their background.

“Taking account the labour laws of the country, foreign workers are not permitted to bring their children to the country, for which we have given a leeway (through CLCs) for them as part of our effort to provide educational rights (under Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948, article 26) to the children,” said Fatimah.

She explained this was the reason the ministry had decided to establish CLCs as a means for the children to gain education, akin to the curriculum of preschool to elementary school (Primary 6).

According to her, there are currently over 16 CLCs in Sarawak, where nine are in Miri, Bintulu (5), Mukah (1) and Simunjan (1), with at least 1,900 children registered.

However, Fatimah added that Sarawak is not authorised to approve any registration by the Indonesian workers despite being the coordinators for the conception of the CLC.

“We in Sarawak are not authorised to approve any registrations despite being the coordinators during the initial stages of the CLC where we brought the authorities from the Ministry of Education to sit in a meeting, to discuss the terms of setting up a CLC, on who has to register and what conditions to be set.

“The CLC can only operate in the plantations of Sarawak, where the location of the site and premises must be approved by the Head of the Registrar, the State Planning Authority (SPA) and the plantations’ management party.

“Even for teachers, after their contracts expire in five years, they will have to go back and be replaced with new teachers,” said Fatimah.

She then said the registration for CLC establishment in plantations is in Putrajaya under the Private Sector Department.

from Borneo Post Online https://bit.ly/3PgaAR6
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