By Nor Ain Mohamed Radhi, Qistina Sallehuddin
KUALA LUMPUR: As of June 30, a total of 8,575 children without identification documents were enrolled in government and government-aided primary and secondary schools nationwide.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the admission of these children was allowed under the Education Ministry's Circular No 1/2009: Admission of Malaysian Citizens' Children Without Documents to School, dated March 11, 2009.
"The circular provides flexibility for children without identification documents to be accepted into schools, on the condition that at least one parent is a Malaysian citizen," she said in a written parliamentary reply yesterday.
Fadhlina was responding to Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Muda-Muar), who inquired about the latest statistics on asylum-seeking, refugee or stateless children who have received formal primary or secondary school education, not just in alternative learning centres.
As for asylum seekers or refugees, Fadhlina said none were admitted into government or government-aided schools during the same period.
Fadhlina said one of the ministry's latest efforts to address this issue includes cooperation with the Home Ministry through the Mekar Didik Programme, in collaboration with the National Registration Department.
She said the ministry also called for the support of community leaders, especially members of parliament, through their meet-the-people programmes, to remind the public to register their marriages and their children's births.
"This is crucial to resolve the problem of undocumented children, whether in terms of identity or citizenship," she said.
Source : over-8500-undocumented-children-enrolled-national-schools