Education is still one of the most effective factors that changing the future of students from rural areas. While financial aid such as scholarship and bursaries are no doubt a significant help, there are numerous other types of supports that are just as important. The Sarawak government had acknowledge this and launched a variety of educational support aids that goes beyond the financial aid. These supports are made with the intention to give students who comes from a low-income household to have an equal chance at success as those who comes from a high and moderate income household. The provided supports does not only covers those who are in primary school but also to those who are in secondary school. Not only that, the supports are also given to those who are all the way through institutions of higher learning (IPT). This aids and supports from the Sarawak government reflects their dedication to help students in need to pursue their educations and academic goals while also assisting in closing the education gap between urban and rural areas.
One of the supports that is provided by the government is the school uniform aid (Bantuan Pakaian Seragam Sekolah). This support is specifically targeted for Year 1 students (Tahun 1) in primary school, Form 1 students (Tingkatan 1) in secondary school, disabled students (pelajar OKU) and Penan students. The process of this support begins with the names of the students, suggested by the school, sent to the Jawatankuasa Focus Group Pejabat Daerah for a verification through the e-Kasih database screening. Once the requests are approved, the parents of the student will then received a QR code which can be used by simply scanning the code as payment in participating shops. This support helps in reducing the financial burdens carried by the parents, ensuring that their children will have a proper school attire and could begin their schooling journey with confidence.
In addition, a free transportation service is also provided to school students. This service offers direct financial relief to families from the B40 income group who may struggle with the increasing costs of daily transporting. Not only that, by making sure that transportation is ready and free, this service can also reduce the problem of student absence that is caused by difficulty in finding and affording transportation. As a result, students will be able to attend school more efficiently and consistently to continue their studies without any disruption.
In addition, the government also offers book voucher assistance to full-time students in public higher education institutions (IPTA) and private higher education institutions (IPTS) recognized by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia (KPTM). This aid is specifically provided for students that comes from families with a per capita income of RM1,500 and below. This aid covers all levels of study from foundation to doctorate (PhD) level. This voucher help students to get study materials without burdening their family financially. In order to receive this vouch, an application must be made online through the my-Yayasan portal.
Last but certainly not the least is the free laptop aid. This aid is made in order to help students in today’s digital learning needs. Unlike the voucher aid, this support is targeted at first-year full-time students at diploma and bachelor’s degree levels who are studying at IPTA or IPTS in the country that are also recognized by KPTM. Just like the book voucher assistance, the qualifying family income requirement is RM1,500 per capita and below, while applications are also made online through the my-Yayasan portal. The provision of these devices helps to ensure that students are not left out of access to technology, thus making it easier for them to follow hybrid or online learning.
