THE Education Ministry has reported improvements in access to education, from preschool to vocational training, over the past year.
As the Malaysia Education Development Blueprint 2013-2025 approaches its conclusion, director-general Azman Adnan said the ministry has made significant progress, though challenges remained.
He said upper secondary school enrolment has increased to 91.65 per cent from 89.9 per cent in 2022.
However, Azman highlighted economic constraints as a key factor for those who leave school early, explaining that families with limited means often cannot afford educational costs, including fees, books and other essentials.
He added that some students drop out of school to support their families, particularly in larger households.
"In rural and remote areas, there are insufficient secondary schools, which makes it difficult for students to access upper secondary education," he noted in an interview recently.
Azman attributed the improved upper secondary enrolment to several support initiatives, including guidance programmes and incentives backed by Parent-Teacher Associations, companies and private donors.
In terms of early childhood education, preschool enrolment has increased to 90.67 per cent for children aged 5 and 77.95 per cent for those aged 4, helped by the expansion of preschool classes and tuition assistance.
"However, enrolment has yet to reach 100 per cent as preschool education is not mandatory in Malaysia," Azman said.
The director-general further highlighted progress in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) enrolment, which now stands at 10.5 per cent, with graduate employability at vocational colleges reaching 99.38 per cent.
Azman attributed this to increased industry partnerships and the promotion of the National Dual Training System programmes, but he acknowledged that the 2024 TVET enrolment target of 11 per cent has yet to be met.
He emphasised the ministry's commitment in ensuring equitable access to education for all adding that the ministry is focused on reducing dropout rates, particularly among the indigenous communities.
Azman added that the Sekolah Bimbingan Jalinan Kasih (SBJK) model has also been extended to Sekolah Kebangsaan Sembulan in Kota Kinabalu to provide access to formal education for marginalised and street children.
The ministry also continues to prioritise inclusive education with the launch of the Developmental Tracking and Intervention Programme for Preschool Students (ProsPIM).
"By addressing developmental delays early, we aim to provide these children with the best possible start in their education journey," he said.
To date, 3,395 children, or 1.57 per cent of 215,920 preschool students have been identified under this initiative.
Pivoting to the quality of education, Azman noted that 93.5 per cent of students qualified for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) in 2023, marking a proud achievement for the system.
"The performance gap for SPM in 2023 between urban and rural areas has narrowed by 29.51 per cent since 2012," he said.
Additionally, the SPM performance gap by gender has decreased by 48.33 per cent since 2016, while the gap by socio-economic status has reduced by 55.8 per cent since 2021.
Azman also noted the success of the Literacy and Numeracy Programme (PLaN), which has been expanded to all primary schools.
It was reported in September that 122,062 pupils had been identified for PLaN through early screening conducted by teachers in July, who had yet to master reading, writing and arithmetic (3M).
"PLaN has shown significant progress, reducing the number of low-performing schools by 68.2 per cent and medium-performing schools by 22.1 per cent," he said.
The ministry also aims to elevate vocational education quality by introducing new programmes in high-impact fields, such as artificial intelligence and electric vehicle automotive technology, and strategic partnerships with industries are also being prioritised.
On teacher development, Azman underlined the importance of professional growth.
"The ministry has developed the Malaysian Teacher Standards 2.0 (SGM2.0) document, which serves as a guide for teachers to identify their competencies in values, skills and knowledge," he said.
Additionally, the Competency Dictionary for the Teaching Pathway supports teachers in their professional development.
The ministry has also implemented initiatives aimed at supporting teachers wellbeing, including psychological wellness training and the establishment of the Psychological Wellbeing Hub.
Azman said while the primary school participation rate stood at 99.11 per cent in 2023, the remaining 0.89 per cent of children were still out of school.
At the secondary level, the participation rate was 93.63 per cent in 2023, meaning 6.37 per cent of students did not continue to Form Five.
He cited various factors for secondary school dropouts, including lack of parental awareness, financial constraints requiring children to work, disinterest in studies, transportation issues, family problems, and health or mental health challenges such as depression.
Dropout prevention strategies remain a priority for the ministry, with 18 forms of school aid in place, including both specific and general assistance, Azman said.
Since July 2023, a tracking system has also been under development to monitor school-age children and ensure that they stay in the education system.
This year, the ministry plans to assess existing programmes, and expand the K9 and K11 Special Comprehensive Model Schools to meet these communities' specific needs.
K9 schools offer six years of primary schooling and three years of lower secondary schooling in the same school, while K11 schools expand that with two more years of upper secondary schooling.
According to Azman, there are currently two K11 schools and 28 K9 schools, with plans for all of them to be converted to K11 status.
"Some of these schools have been able to overcome 100 per cent dropout, especially among the Orang Asli and those in rural areas who cannot afford to attend far away schools," he said.
The ministry has also introduced the 'outreach' programme for school dropouts.
"This programme aims to provide targeted interventions to help dropouts return to school.
In 2023, 3,275 dropouts successfully re-enrolled and 2,853 more in 2024 (as of August)," he said.
On education reform, six taskforces have been formed to tackle various facets of the agenda and are responsible for many of the initiatives Azman has touched on before.
These taskforces include Curriculum Intervention, STEM, Digital, Language, Preschool Coordination and TVET, enhancing educational outcomes and contributing to the holistic development of students towards fostering a balanced, inclusive and future-ready educational environment.