Early Education: MOE Assures No Rejection Of Pupil Enrolment, Focus On Maximum Preparations

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Education (MOE) has assured that there will be no rejection of enrolment applications for six-year-old children opting to enter Year One beginning in 2027.

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said comprehensive preparations are being carried out based on nationwide mapping of school capacity and infrastructure, taking into account the anticipated strong response from parents to the optional early entry policy for Year One.

Accordingly, she said parents who choose to enrol their children in Year One at the age of six are not required to register them in preschool, as the MOE has guaranteed placement.

“Although it is optional, our preparations are at the maximum level… so there will be no rejection. Those who are accepted and those who apply will be enrolled. There is no need for them to register for preschool because this is a matter of choice and we have already stated that placement is guaranteed,” she said.

She said this when winding up debate on the Motion of Thanks for the Royal Address for MOE at the Dewan Rakyat today.

The early entry policy for Year One pupils was announced as one of the transformative leaps in national education to be implemented from 2027, aimed at strengthening pupils’ foundational literacy and numeracy skills at the initial stage of schooling.

Fadhlina said the policy is driven by four key considerations, namely global education practices, increasing early enrolment among children, the country’s demographic shift towards an ageing nation and the need to develop high-quality human capital for the labour market.

She said the implementation of the policy will not alter the existing schooling structure, with pupils continuing to undergo six years of primary education and five years of secondary education in line with the current system.

To ensure infrastructure readiness, she said MOE will optimise existing facilities, enhance school capacity including the implementation of double sessions in selected areas, and convert special-purpose rooms into additional classrooms if necessary.

“At the MOE level, we are already able to anticipate areas that will become focal points… therefore the mapping will be more refined once registration opens. At this stage, the process is focused on overall preparation of school capacity and infrastructure,” she said.

The sitting resumes on Monday.

-- BERNAMA