A SIMPLE school backpack can fuel greater potential and make a lasting difference.
It is the one item that follows the child from home to school and sports practice, carrying all they need to get them through.
Dusty and frayed at the edges, it doesn’t run out like pen ink, finish like paper or dwindle like crayons. It is an item for greater potential.
But not all children have this simple pleasure and privilege.
Some months ago, I visited a village school where several children turned up with books in plastic bags. For them, school backpacks were taken over by the need for food on the table.
Today, the average cost of school supplies, a pair of shoes and uniforms for each child is estimated at RM200.
With a household income of less than RM3,500 a month, the burden of supporting two or three school-going children can make up more than an entire month’s food bills.
It is not a surprise that most children from the B40 income group wear the same uniform for several years, even if it doesn’t fit.
Unfortunately, children are often judged by what they wear and bring to school.
It’s not uncommon that the child with the tattered shoes and an under-sized shirt gets bullied, shunned and left out in group projects, sports or extra-curricular activities.
Too often, too soon, the emotional stress and academic gap grow and these children find reasons to leave the cohort of students.
Sadly, what happens next is the rhetoric of why the cycle of poverty continues.
The school dropout rates in Malaysia have declined slightly and the Education Ministry aims to reduce this, especially among the B40 income group.
One way to do this is to equip students with basic needs for back to school preparation.
The backpack may pale in comparison to a laptop as a school supply starter, but it serves as one of the needed items that can help more children stay at school and stay longer too.
So, this year, Yayasan Petronas will scale up its annual Back to School programme to benefit more children.
With the help of volunteers, 21,000 children from 61 schools nationwide will get backpacks and stationery, school uniforms, socks and shoes to start another academic year.
LITA OSMAN
Chief executive officer, Yayasan Petronas