KOTA BARU: The suggestion to amend the Education Act 1996 (Act 550) to make it compulsory for private religious schools to register with the authorities has received positive response from such schools in Kelantan.
Persatuan Minda Pondok, a non-governmental organisation comprising several ‘pondok’ schools in Kelantan, believed that such a move would benefit not only ‘pondok’ and tahfiz schools in the state, but also nationwide.
Its information chief Mohd Syamsul Mohd Yusoff said the registration of such centres would mean that they can be fully monitored by the authorities, including the management of their welfare and other needs.
“The operators can also have their schools or centres upgraded and improved, including in terms of security,” he said.
It was reported that the Education Act 1996 (Act 550) may be amended to enable the Federal government to coordinate the administration of tahfiz schools and enable easier distribution of financial aid.
The Act could also be amended to ensure the registration of private religious schools, including tahfiz centres.
This was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi after chairing a two-hour meeting of a special task force on tahfiz schools yesterday.