Kota Kinabalu: Weak enforcement and rising number of unqualified caregivers at childcare centres are putting young children’s lives and development at risk, education experts warned.
The issue gained renewed urgency following the recent cases of child deaths at unlicensed centres.
There have been at least eight childcare centre deaths since 2024 which exposes deeper flaws in Malaysia’s early childhood care system, where safety and quality standards are often neglected.
SIDMA College Sabah Chairman, Prof Dr Mornie Kambrie, said many nurseries and kindergartens continue to operate without proper registration, trained teachers or adherence to basic child-teacher ratios, despite clear regulations under the Child Care Centre Act.
“There are rules, but enforcement is weak. When unqualified people handle young children, it endangers both their safety and their emotional development,” he said after SIDMA College’s 11th convocation ceremony, recently.
He said untrained staff often treat early education simply as daycare centre rather than formative development, creating a vicious cycle where learning quality declines and character formation is neglected.
“Parents, even those who can afford better, sometimes treat childcare merely as a place to ‘park’ their children.
“This mindset, combined with poor enforcement, is damaging to the nation’s future generation,” he said.
Mornie stressed that every taska and tadika operator should have at least a diploma in Early Childhood Education, as required by law, and that local authorities must strictly vet licence applications instead of approving them blindly.
“Enforcement must mean something. Don’t just issue permits. Check who is teaching and whether they are trained. If the government has already set the minimum qualification, enforce it,” he said.
He warned that the lack of quality educators leads to broader behavioural issues later in life, as children grow up without proper emotional and social guidance.
Excessive screen time for children below six years old, he added, further stunts communication skills and empathy.
“Screens can never replace human teaching. Children under six shouldn’t be exposed to gadgets and the damage is long-term,” said Prof Dr Bustam Kamri, Dean of Education and Humanities at Universiti MAIWP, who also designed the early childhood curriculum at SIDMA.
Both academics said the solution lies not just in enforcement but in changing perception that is viewing early childhood education as a professional field, not an informal job.
“Early childhood education graduates are now working across sectors from government preschools to safety, health and even entrepreneurship,” Mornie said.
“Some of our alumni have opened successful centres in Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan, proving this is a viable and respected career path.”He added that since 2009, SIDMA has produced nearly 3,000 graduates in Early Childhood Education, many of whom have continued their studies to degree level or launched their own licensed childcare businesses.
“Quality early education shapes the nation’s character. We must stop treating it as an afterthought,” he said.
The convocation, held at the JKKN Auditorium, celebrated the graduation of 96 students from various diploma programmes including Early Childhood Education, Occupational Safety and Health, Management, and Sports Management.
During the ceremony, Tracey Jefirin from Kota Marudu was named SIDMA Best Student 2025 for the Diploma in Early Childhood Education, in recognition of her academic excellence, discipline, and active involvement in community initiatives.