The Malaysian Insight

TRANSPORT to school and essentials such as uniforms account for the bulk of expenses parents have to bear when the third term of the academic calendar for the 2022-2023 session begins tomorrow.

Working parents said they had no other choice but to engage private transport services to ferry their children to school and home.

They said they were unsure how much they will have pay school bus operators amid talk that the sector was looking at hiking fares.

This was in addition to purchasing school supplies such as uniforms and stationery.

They said Putrajaya’s RM150 subsidy helped with the expenses but most parents felt the government should consider increasing the amount in light of the spiralling cost of living.

Kamarul Hisham Abu Bakar, 36, from Shah Alam, told The Malaysian Insight that he had to spend up to RM500 for his two children who are in primary school this year.

He said almost 30% goes into transport fees to send his son, who is now in Year 6, to school.

“In this area, the fare is around RM140 for a child going to and from school,” he said.

The private sector worker said that another child, who is in Year 2, is not using any transport service as he is a special needs child.

“Total expenses for school, around RM500 for two children – bags, shirts, pants, shoes, stationery and sportswear.

The amount, however, does not include the cost of childcare if they attend a day care centre.

“There are also parents who have to send their children to an after-school care centre because they both work until the evening, which is an additional cost.

During the Budget 2023 tabling before last year’s general election, then finance minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz announced that a RM150 aid would be disbursed to all students regardless of their family income.

The amount is an increase from the RM100 given to students in 2021.

During the Dewan Rakyat sitting on December 20, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that the unity government under his leadership would continue with the subsidy and that early schooling aid (BAP) would to be distributed beginning January.

BAP was first introduced in 2012 to assist low-income families as their children begin their schooling.

Kamarul said he plans to use the aid money to buy stationery and school-related necessities for his children.

Muhammad Shafiq Hamka, 35, from Johor Baru spent around RM1,000 for his two children who start schooling this month.

He said transport costs for his two children to school every month would come up to about RM180.

“My children are in Year 5 and Year 1 this year. My children only use the school bus to come home, a one-way trip,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Shafiq said the biggest expenses incurred are essentials such as his children’s school uniforms.

“I will use the RM150 that the government is giving to pay their school fees or buy books,” he said.

Mohd Firdaus Ismail, 33, has spent about RM1,500 on his son who will be entering Year 1.

“My eldest child starts school in January. The initial expenses are high. School items such as books and uniforms cost a lot of money.

“The RM150 aid that is given is too little compared to the cost of sending a child to school. And because I work, my child has to take the bus to school,” said Firdaus, who is from Skudai, Johor.

The government employee said his child’s bus fare to school and back home is about RM100.

“I feel that the cost of school expenses is burdensome for us in B40 group. I hope that the government will review the school fees and control the price of school supplies,” he added.

The cost of school transport is often a hot topic as soon as the new school session starts.

For this year’s session, Malaysian School Bus Association president, Amali Munif Rahmat, is reported to have said that school bus fares are expected to increase.

This follows an increase in operating costs such as the price of vehicle spare parts, an increase in driver’s wages as well as having to compete with unlicensed school bus proprietors, he said.

For parents with higher incomes, the RM150 assistance could be channelled into their children’s education fund.

Shaik Amin Shaik Alauddin, 36, said he plans to put the money into the National Higher Education Savings Scheme (SSPN) for the future education of his son who enters Year 1 this year.

“I have not planned to use the aid to buy any necessities… maybe I will put it into the SSPN,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek on December 28 said that schools in Group A will start their school sessions on January 1 and the term will carry on till February 16.

The group involves schools in Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.

Meanwhile, schools in Group B – Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan – will begin lessons on January 3, with the term ending on February 17.

On December 10, the Malaysian Ministry of Education announced the 2023/2024 academic calendar session is scheduled to begin on March 12, 2023 for Group A and March 13, 2023 for Group B.

This was to ensure that the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination could be carried out smoothly, following the disruption of the academic calendar during the Covid-19 pandemic. – January 2, 2023.