Malaysian Association of Kindergartens

Persatuan Tadika Malaysia (Malaysian Association of Kindergartens) or PTM is the pioneer organisation involved in pre-school education in Malaysia. Since 1973, we have made vast contributions towards the continual training and professional development of pre-school teachers in Malaysia.

History

PTM was initiated by Miss Constance White, an Education Ministry Official to address the urgent need to upgrade the standard of Malaysia’s pre-school education. The initial 160 member association, was established on 25th August 1973, and elected Sister Denise Paquette as its Chairman. Today, PTM continues to grow, provide and recruit members by providing enrichment education and healthcare activities not only for pre-school teachers but also for kindergarten operators and parents.

Our objectives

For Children

PTM strives to look into the physical, cognitive, emotional, moral and social development of pre-school children by working closely with the Ministry of Education on The National Pre-School Curriculum. Furthermore, PTM aims to contribute time and effort to upgrade facilities in the rural as well as the urban kindergartens through on-going seminars and art festivals to foster greater co-operation and understanding amongst operators and children of various kindergartens.

For Parents

Parents play a very important role in the overall development of their children. Recognizing this, PTM engages child experts and provides services such as talks on child related issues that will further enhance their parenting skills. It is also PTM’s aim to disseminate literature and any other information regarding pre-school education to parents and the public.

For Kindergarten Operators

PTM also provides professional advice to kindergarten operators on a wide range of issues, from setting up to day-to-day operations. Through this support, we aim to ensure that all kindergarten facilities provide a conducive learning environment.

For Pre-School Teachers

PTM places great emphasis on training to improve the quality of pre-school teachers. We develop training courses to equip pre-school teachers in the private sector with the necessary skills to meet the needs of young children. Our training course is in line with the National Pre-School Curriculum and continues to be the primary module used to train pre-school teachers. The Bi-Annual In-Service Course has also been extended to East Malaysia, and covers a broad range of topics, which include:

• Child psychology
• Pre-school teacher education
• School administration/ management
• National Pre-School Curriculum
• Language (BM/ English)
• Communication
• Creativity & aesthetics
• Cognitive development

This course is attended by pre-school teachers as well as kindergarten operators, parents and those who are interested to work with children. As PTM is in their 38th anniversary, they strive for excellence in all areas of pre-school and healthcare education to create leaders for the future.