Big changes coming: Badrulhisham (left) helping his 13-year-old son pick out black pants for secondary school beginning soon at a uniforms shop in Bukit Mertajam, Penang. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: Early financial planning is vital to ensure a smooth transition for children from primary to secondary school, say parents.
Factory worker Badrulhisham Kamaruddin, 56, said he has set aside RM2,000 for his son who will begin Form One at a boarding school next month.
Badrulhisham said he only spent a few hundred ringgit during his son’s primary school days.
“I need to buy him a whole new set of uniforms as he will be wearing long-sleeved shirts as well as religious outfit.
“These things add up, especially if you have a growing child.
“I made sure to budget and set aside cash,” said the father of five when met at a shop selling uniforms here.
Badrulhisham said his son did not have hand-me-downs because there was an age gap between him and his siblings.
On the one-off Early Schooling Aid (BAP) of RM150 for his son, Badrulhisham said it could still help ease his financial burden although the amount was not much.
Alice Ng, 47, said besides new uniforms and more revision books, her daughter also needs to spend more on stationery.
“Transitioning from Year Six to Form One is like starting all over again and it can cost quite a bit,” said the nurse.
“Stationery can be costly; one needs pens, highlighters, sticky notes and others. These items tend to add up and students can lose them easily in schools.
“To make it easier on the pocket, I buy stationery in bulk online.
“This is helpful as it is almost like buying it at a wholesale price,” she added.
Ng said she has also set aside some cash, believing there will be more expenses once the school term begins.
“There will be uniforms for whichever society she joins,” Ng said.
Siti Ainul Abdullah, 45, said she has three children, including one who will start Form One next year.
The other two are in Form Three and Form Four, said the government servant.
“I’ll need to give my son more pocket money and get new shirts.
“The other two children need revision books, more stationery and T-shirts for different school clubs and activities.
“Although I am used to it, it is noticeable every time they come home, saying they need something new for school.
“I have learnt to manage by buying things online; there are offers and deals and I make early preparations,” she said.
Siti Ainul said while she received RM150 for each child, the money had been spent on her children during the school holidays.
“They are young and want things so the money was useful during the break,” she said.
Early this month, a total of RM702,012,500 out of the RM788,130,000 allocated for the BAP initiative under Budget 2024 had been disbursed.
On Feb 7, Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said the BAP distribution of RM150 to each student has surpassed 95%.
The 2024/2025 school session nationwide will start on March 10 and 11, depending on whether states have Friday-Saturday or Saturday-Sunday as weekends.
