ACROSS the country, when the movement control order (MCO) was implemented for the first time in March last year, a vast majority of parents from Penang shared mixed feelings about the closure of kindergartens.
However, with the reimposition of MCO from Jan 13 to 26 and the green light for kindergartens to operate, parents are more positive of the decision made by the Federal Government.
In an effort to gain feedback from related parties, Buletin Mutiara visited the Tadika Whytehouse at Tech Dome Penang in Komtar today and interviewed several parents, whose comments were mostly welcoming towards the decision to continue operations.
Nurulaini, 34, a dentist, who was seen in a delightful mood on a Monday morning, was thankful over the decision to allow kindergartens to operate during MCO 2.0, as it is crucial for working parents whose only source of hope are such premises.
“As an individual from the medical line, I am quite packed with work and would find it extremely difficult to juggle between work and full-time care for my kids, hence, the ‘go ahead’ for kindergartens was truly a huge boost.
“It is definitely different from how it was when MCO came into effect for the first time in March last year.
“Back then, most of the sectors were closed and certain parents had the privilege to work from home and were able to take care of their kids.
“But for people like me, we have got to depend on such services to provide the best care and education for our kids.
“Hats off to Whytehouse for the tremendous work, especially efforts taken in terms of the standard operating procedures (SOPs),” said Nurulaini during the interview session.
She has two children, namely Daniyal Hakimi, six, and Sofia, four. Both are currently attending the tadika on a full-day basis, from 8am to 5pm.
Another parent, K. Sasibalen, a Penang prison staff member, said he has no issue of sending his child to the tadika, and thanked the Federal and state government’s decision to allow operations.
“I believe as long as the tadika does regular disinfection and properly adhere to the SOPs, the kids would be safe.
“Life has to go on, and it is definitely a huge boost for working parents because while we are at work, it is also our duty to ensure our kids are in safe hands.
“Whytehouse is doing a great job so far, and I sincerely hope they will keep up with the good work,” Sasibalen said.
Tadika Whytehouse, which was initiated by Tech Dome Penang and Whytehouse Education Group to provide affordable and quality pre-school education, is the first kindergarten in the state to be established in a science centre, focusing on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.
It was officiated by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow in September last year.
With the space as big as able to accommodate 30 students at a time, Whytehouse houses kids that are mostly of Penang government staff and those working around the Komtar area.
Its founder and executive director Jery Yeoh said it was a wise decision by the Government to allow kindergartens to operate to accommodate the concerns raised by working parents, and also to assist them in caring and providing education for their kids.
“I think this decision was made based on what they learnt from the past MCO, where most factories had implemented work from home policy, and it was easier for parents to watch over their kids.
“Despite MCO 2.0 and various sectors given the green light to still operate, many parents are still required to be physically present at office.
“Knowing this, it is a good move to give working parents a peace of mind while knowing their kids are under proper care.
“I hope parents will work together with the teachers. This is not the time for blaming one another, but to work closely and see how we can overcome this struggle,” said Yeoh.
Yeoh also said that Whytehouse uses an application called ‘LittleLives’ to allow parents to keep track of their kids’ while they are away at work.
“This easy-to-use platform gives parents more sense of security over their kids, and it is actively being carried out on all the kids here,” he added.
Story by Kevin Vimal
Pix by Law Suun Ting