KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry aims to standardise the syllabus and curriculum in all preschools and kindergartens nationwide, including those managed by the private sector and other government agencies.
Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said engagement sessions are currently being actively conducted with all preschool and kindergarten operators.
"We hope that all kindergartens and preschools take the initiative to register with the ministry if they are not yet registered so that they can adopt the syllabus or curriculum provided by the ministry," he said in response to a supplementary question from Salamiah Mohd Nor (PN-Temerloh) in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He said earlier this year, engagement sessions were held to coordinate the curriculum and teaching staff qualifications for Tabika Kemas, to ensure that it could be brought under the broader umbrella of the Education Ministry.
Tabika Kemas is under the purview of the Rural and Regional Development Ministry.
Wong said Tadika Pasti, pioneered by Pas, has yet to register with the ministry and does not follow the existing curriculum.
"We hope that with the engagement sessions, the ministry can ensure that the curriculum used aligns with and is consistent with the one provided," he said.
Meanwhile, to the initial question from Aminolhuda Hassan (PH-Sri Gading), Wong said the ministry is actively restructuring the preschool system and curriculum interventions to address learning gaps.
"The preschool classes will be expanded across all educational institutions under the ministry as part of efforts to address learning gaps, including literacy and numeracy skills, starting from the early stages.
"The Curriculum Intervention Task Force, one of the teams under the Education Reform initiative, is responsible for implementing measures to address learning gaps among students.
"One of the initiatives in the curriculum intervention is the Early Detection of Literacy and Numeracy for Year One students. This detection will be carried out within the first three months of Year One schooling, aimed at identifying students who have not yet mastered reading, writing, and arithmetic skills.
"This early detection will help identify students who have not mastered literacy and numeracy so that appropriate early intervention can be implemented," he said.