BANGI, Aug 27- The Permata Programme compliments what is provided in the formal education system for children’s holistic development, says the programme’s patron, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.
Rosmah, who is also the chairman of the programme’s Coordination Working Committee, said holistic education was not only crucial, but should also start from an early age.
“How well we nurture them in childhood will determine their future and the future of the nation,” she said in her speech during the visit of Nompumelelo Ntuli-Zuma, wife of South African President Jacob Zuma, to the Permata Pintar School at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), here, Monday.
Rosmah, the Malaysian prime minister’s wife, said investing in education was also the first step in building a prosperous, peaceful and harmonious world as its positive impact could be enjoyed by all.
She said to complement the Permata Negara or Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) programme, four other Permata projects launched were the Permata Pintar, Permata Insan, Permata Seni and Perkasa Remaja.
She added that one of two other programmes in the process of implementation was the Permata Specialist Children’s Hospital, which would provide the most up-to-date services and research in paediatric medical and surgical disciplines.
“The other is the Permata Kurnia, a centre with state-of-the-art facilities and teaching-learning techniques to help children with autism so that they can be integrated into the school system and community.”
Rosmah also noted that 656 Permata Negara centres had been built throughout the country involving 27,000 children.
– BERNAMA
