PUTRAJAYA: ALL stateless and undocumented children will be able to go to school next year, provided their parents or guardians are able to present the relevant documents.
School Management Division deputy director Pesol Md Saad said this was part of the Education Ministry’s move to simplify the registration process for children without citizenship into government schools.
Parents need only present relevant documents, such as the child’s birth certificate, or adoption papers or court order, and pay a small fee when registering, using the Jadual Pertama P.U.A (275) at the State Education Department or District Education office.
Pesol said children without citizenship can still register for government school or government-assisted schools despite provisions in the Education Act 1996 or Act 550 which require that every pupil must be a citizen.
There are currently 29,960 children who are not citizens who have registered and have been accepted into government and government-assisted schools.
However, these children will not be eligible to receive aid such as the Textbook Loan Scheme, Supplementary Food Programme and other special assistance.
There are four categories of children who are not citizens who can study in government schools. They are: children of staff working in foreign embassies; children whose parents are not citizens but who are working in government agencies, statutory bodies and others with a legal work permit; children whose parents are permanent residents and children who have been selected to study in Malaysia by their respective country’s governments.
for these children, the parents need to submit the registration form, the Jadual Pertama P.U.A (275), together with the child’s birth certificate or identity Card, as well as child and parents passport. For children whose parents are working in Malaysia, they also need to submit their employment pass, dependant pass, a letter from their employer as well as a students pass issued by the immigration Department and pay a fee at the respective State Education Department.
for parents who are not citizens but are working in government agencies or statutory bodies, their children can study in government schools but the parents must submit an employment pass (category I) for salaries of RM10,000 and above with a minimum contract of two years, or employment pass (category II) for salariesbetween RM5,000 and RM9,000with a contract of less than two years, which allows them to bring in dependants during the duration of their employment in the country.
Pesol said there were three categories of children who were not Malaysian citizens who are allowed to study in government schools. This includes children who are adopted by Malaysian parents, those whose parents did not register their marriage legally, such as when one parent is a citizen and the other parent is not, and undocumented children who have one parent who is a Malaysian citizen.
for children adopted by Malaysians, they need to submit valid adoption papers from the National registration Department or a court order or valid papers from the Social Welfare Department.
“For children whose parents who are not legally married and one parent is a citizen, parents need to submit either valid adoption papers from the NRD or a court order or a letter from the member of Parliament, state assemblyman, district officer, village head or longhouse head where the child lives,” said Pesol.
For undocumented children who have one Malaysian parent, they need to submit the identity card of the Malaysian parent and have a letter from either the member of Parliament, state assemblyman, district officer, village head or longhouse head where the child is residing.
‘These are important documents which must be submitted because we need to know the child’s name, his age, and details of his legal guardians,” said Pesol.
He added, parents or family members of these children will be given two years to apply for proper documentation and citizenship with the NRD.
“The current status of the application must also be submitted to the State Education Department for record-keeping and if their parents or guardian fail to submit this during the two-year period, the children face the risk not being able to continue in school,” he said.
besides submitting the relevant documents, they must also pay a fee of RM120 for primary school children and RM240 for secondary school children. This fee can be submitted at the finance Department of the respective State Education Departments nationwide.
However, these children will not be eligible to receive aid such as the Textbook Loan Scheme, Supplementary Food Programme and other special assistance.