Preschool Mandatory At Age Five, Community Schools To Be Expanded

KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 (Bernama) -- Early childhood education will be made compulsory at the age of five, while community-based schools for Orang Asli, longhouse residents and rural populations will be expanded, according to the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) document released by the Ministry of Economy today.

The document states that education reform is a key pillar of the structural transformation outlined under 13MP, aimed at improving learning outcomes, strengthening teacher competencies, and enhancing the overall quality of teaching and learning nationwide.

To achieve these goals, eight strategies will be implemented during the plan period. These include strengthening governance, rationalising the roles of education institutions, improving student performance, and refining assessment and evaluation mechanisms.

Other focus areas include upgrading educator competencies, boosting investment in education, promoting lifelong learning, and enhancing the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) ecosystem.

Formal primary education will begin at age six in line with international norms, the document states. English will be used as part of the medium of instruction and communication for lower primary students, while the teaching of additional languages will be expanded at the primary level.

Governance across the education continuum, from preschool to secondary, and including pre-university and higher education, will be streamlined to enhance service delivery. A new law will be introduced to regulate early childhood education, while regulatory oversight of alternative education will be strengthened.

According to the document, a national education council will be established to coordinate, monitor and propose intervention measures to ensure a progressive, world-class education system.

A pilot initiative to grant greater autonomy to universities will also be introduced to strengthen financial sustainability and institutional competitiveness. In parallel, access to education for students with special needs will be expanded nationwide, from preschool to secondary school.

A comprehensive review will be conducted to determine optimal school hours, evaluate the effectiveness of specialised schools, and improve education models for gifted and talented students.

To improve graduate outcomes, the document states that a mandatory paid internship scheme will be introduced to encourage greater participation from industry, particularly among micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Evaluation and assessment systems will also be enhanced to raise education quality to international benchmarks. A dedicated review will assess the effectiveness of current school-level evaluation practices.

In addition, a new framework to measure graduate outcomes will be introduced to address skill mismatches and reduce underemployment.

Education investment will be scaled up, including the enhancement of facilities such as preschools based on learning needs. According to the document, the construction of schools will be made a prerequisite for planning approval in large-scale housing developments.

Vertical school development will be expanded to address overcrowding and limited land availability, while the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loan scheme will be reviewed to make it more targeted, focused and sustainable.

To improve transparency and coordination, a single national platform will be established to manage education sponsorships and donations. The platform will facilitate contributions from parents, alumni, communities, the private sector and industry.

-- BERNAMA