Parents Encouraged To Be In School During BAP Distribution

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 12 (Bernama) -- Parents are encouraged to be present at schools during the distribution of the Early Schooling Assistance (BAP), which is taking place throughout this week.

Education Ministry Deputy Secretary-General (Management) Datuk Ahmad Suhaimi Endut said parental involvement is important to ensure they understand the distribution process and can verify that their children receive the correct amount of assistance.

“As much as possible, we want to involve all parents so that they are aware of what is happening in schools and that their children’s needs are properly taken into account. We do not want this assistance to reach students only for it to be spent on other purposes,” he said.

He said when speaking to the media after inspecting the first day of the 2026 school session at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Putrajaya Presint 18(1) here today.

Also present were Putrajaya Federal Territory Education director Nadimin Abdul Aziz, SMK Putrajaya Presint 18(1) principal Dr Mazira Mohd Zain and Putrajaya police chief ACP Aidi Sham Mohamed.

Ahmad Suhaimi said there had been cases in previous years where students informed their parents that they had received a lower amount of assistance than what was actually distributed.

“Each student is supposed to receive RM150, but some told their parents they only received RM100. We do not want such incidents to recur,” he said.

The BAP, which is distributed in a lump sum to 5.2 million students nationwide, is a government initiative aimed at easing the financial burden on parents and guardians in preparing for school expenses.

Commenting on the first day of the school session, Ahmad Suhaimi said students were seen attending school enthusiastically, with parents placing strong emphasis on the importance of education.

He added that teachers also play a crucial role in ensuring students attend school motivated and eager to learn.

Meanwhile, Nadimin said two programmes are scheduled to take place in Putrajaya this Thursday, namely the official handover of the Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Putrajaya Presint 8(3) building by the Public Works Department (JKR) to the Ministry of Education.

Another is the distribution of BAP in Putrajaya by Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, he said.

-- BERNAMA