KUALA LUMPUR: The preschool education system in the country must be reviewed immediately to ensure students are not left behind.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said this was necesary due to the decline in students' performance in the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).
Following this, issues including digital infrastructure, curriculum, as well as additional facilities must be provided to ensure the performance of students is on par with neighbouring countries.
"I would like to touch on the PISA report (based on the education sector) where we are left behind in terms of digital infrastructure, curriculum and facilities for pre-schools, among others.
"Hence, I have instructed Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek to review the preschool system we have," he said in his keynote address during the launch of the 2024 Global Intellectual Discourse held in Universiti Malaya today.
Also in attendance were the prime minister's wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir and Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
At the same time, Anwar said that the review must be done immediately to ensure the quality of the country's education system could be improved and education access is given to all children in the country, including those from the hardcore poor categories.
Following this, he added that pre-school education reforms must also be in tandem with higher education reforms.
"When we talk about justice, we are actually widening the gap between the rich and the poor and those living in the city and rural areas.
"Let's say, there are 80 per cent (of the pupils) who enrolled in preschools under different categories.
"Of the total, 40 per cent are categorised as good, with the remaining mediocre and around 20 per cent are extremely poor. (This means), those considered as good do not reach 50 per cent.
"This is why I want to make sure that we (the government) can provide additional facilities this year to ensure that preschool (access) can be given to all children in the country," he said.