Mohd Jafni (second from right) with recipients of the back-to-school aid at Dewan Raya Putra, Bandar Putra in Kulai.
PARENTS struggling to provide school necessities for their children are urged to get assistance from their nearest local council.
All 16 local councils in Johor have education funds under their respective foundations to support low-income families, according to Datuk Yahya Jaafar, the national chairman of the parents, community and private sector involvement (PIBKS).
He said Johor government had allocated RM2.8mil for a back-to-school programme across all 56 state constituencies.
“On top of this, Education Ministry has allocated RM74mil to Johor for a one-off ‘Bantuan Awal Persekolahan’ (BAP) cash aid.
“There is no shortage of aid available for parents who are genuinely struggling to prepare their children for the current school term,” he said when contacted.
He also welcomed contributions from companies looking to donate school supplies to underprivileged children as part of their corporate social responsibility efforts.
“Support should not come from the government alone; the private sector can also play a role in helping the community,” he added.
Yahya, who is also Yayasan Bandaraya Johor Baru chairman, also said that all local councils in Johor allocated 1% of their tax revenue to community support.
Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) has allocations to cover school fees and tuition classes for children from low-income families.
Yayasan Bandaraya Johor Baru provided RM250 aid to 750 primary and secondary school students.
“The aid includes cash, school bags and other essential school supplies,” Yahya added.
Similarly, Yayasan Sejahtera Kulai chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor said Johor government was committed to supporting all low-income families, regardless of race or religion.
“All foundations under local councils are encouraged to do the same.
“For instance in Kulai, our annual programmes include not only school aid but also support during festive seasons such as Deepavali, Chinese New Year and Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
“Recipients receive both cash and food aid to help ease their financial burden,” he said.
Additionally, Yayasan Sejahtera Kulai has partnered with Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) to provide free tuition classes for pupils.
“We have also distributed RM160 worth of cash and school supplies to 950 pupils and school students in Kulai,” said Jafni.
