SMK Puchong Perdana teacher Aidal Mustafa explaining to students the highlights of the Malaysia Education Blueprint (MEB) 2013-2025 Annual Report. – KAMARUL ARIFFIN/The Star
AN education blueprint is the compass that guides a nation’s journey toward a brighter future, shaping the quality, accessibility and relevance of its education system for generations to come.
In a significant development, Malaysia’s Education Blueprint 2013-2025 unfolds as a strategic roadmap for a sustainable transformation of the nation’s education system.
Reflecting on a decade of unwavering dedication to education transformation, the Malaysia Education Blueprint (MEB) 2013-2025 annual report, now in its tenth edition since its 2013 inception, commemorates a journey of growth and transformation.
It addresses implementation challenges while highlighting remarkable achievements, making it a pivotal milestone in Malaysia’s educational landscape.
At the launch event of the MEB’s 2022 Annual Report held at Pustaka Raja Tun Uda in Shah Alam, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek shared that there are five system aspirations incorporated within the MEB, which are centred on access, quality, equity, unity and efficiency.
Additionally, she said that there are six student aspirations aimed at cultivating knowledgeable individuals with bilingual skills, critical thinking abilities, strong ethics and spirituality, leadership competencies and a deep sense of national identity.
“I am proud to announce that despite grappling with the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic for two years, we successfully steered the implementation of MEB back on course and made substantial strides in our progress.
“We want to improve the quality of education in the country to be equivalent to international standards.
“Ten years ago, we were in the bottom third in the ranking of the education system at the international level through PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment).
'I am proud to announce that despite grappling with the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic for two years, we successfully steered the implementation of PPPM back on course and made substantial strides in our progress,' said Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek at the launch event of the PPPM’s 2022 Annual Report held at Pustaka Raja Tun Uda in Shah Alam.
“However, through dedicated efforts and collaborative initiatives under MEB, Malaysia has now successfully exited this group, marking a significant achievement.”
She said that the MEB emphasises access, stating that every Malaysian child has the right to equal educational opportunities to enable them to reach their potential and equity, which means providing the best education to every child regardless of their gender and socioeconomic background, showing the ministry’s commitment to bridging the gap that exists in education.
She shared that, “The result of efforts to coordinate public and private preschools throughout the country has allowed us to increase the enrolment percentage of children aged four to 71.54% in 2022 compared to 68.45% in 2021, while the enrolment percentage for children aged five has increased from 83.65% in 2021 to 88.81% in 2022.”
“The ministry has also successfully improved the percentage of upper secondary enrolment in 2021 and achieved the best increase in 2022, which is 89.97%.
Among other achievements, she added: “The Zero Student Dropout programme, which targets students who drop out at the secondary level so that they go back to school and get a proper education, has also been successful in reducing the student dropout rate from 1.11% in 2021 to 0.99% in 2022.”
She also urged the public to take part in discussions on the MEB’s 2022 Annual Report and provide feedback for the planning of the country’s educational programmes.
Speaking to reporters later, Fadhlina said there were many initiatives implemented under the MEB, and its success could be noted from various aspects including issues of accessibility, enrolment, the country’s standing in PISA, quality of teachers, focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), unity and efficiency in information management.
Navigating challenges
While the path to educational transformation was paved with noble intentions, it was not without its share of challenges.
Education Ministry deputy director-general (policy and curriculum sector) Dr Ahmad Rafee Che Kassim said that the National Professional Qualification for Educational Leaders (NPQEL) training was introduced under the MEB for school principals.
“There are certain school principals who were not comfortable going for this training.
“They feel that they should be appointed as a school principal due to their seniority and experience.
“We told them that it is a mandatory requirement since 2014 to go for this professional qualification.
“More than 60% (of principals) out of 10,233 schools have obtained the mandatory qualification certification,” he said in an interview after participating in a forum on MEB’s success and challenges.
He also said that they have introduced two new positions under the District Transformation Programme (DTP) – School Improvement Partners+ and School Improvement Specialist Coaches+ to work together with the school principals and teachers for a better teaching, guidance, problem-solving and learning process.
Fadhlina (centre) together with Ishwaar (third from left, back row), Dr Ahmad Rafee (fourth from right, back row), Radzifuddin (third from right, back row), ministry officials, invited guests and students at the launch event of the MEB’s 2022 Annual Report held at Pustaka Raja Tun Uda in Shah Alam.
“For instance, these specialist coaches will discuss with the teachers on how to tackle the issue of students skipping classes, or how to devise a teaching plan to address different levels of students in the class.
“This is the greatest support we gave to schools, and it is really effective,” he said.
Dr Ahmad Rafee said that the MEB has integrated collaboration from all parties in various fields including curriculum, training of teachers, management and administration to improve education.
At the forum, Dr Ahmad Rafee shared that: “Our reading literacy is still low.
“We still need to work on this. We will be drafting a new curriculum which will also address this aspect.”
On the concern of parents about tough HOTS questions in the syllabus, Fadhlina told the media: “We are looking into the curriculum issue seriously.
“The syllabus is on a 10-year cycle basis, and we will have the next one in 2027.
“We will have townhall sessions to discuss the new curriculum with all parties.”
Shaping future achievements
The MEB has enabled students to enjoy improved performance, enhanced teacher learning and the integration of technology in classrooms.
For instance, Dr Ahmad Rafee said that the gap between urban and rural SPM average grades has narrowed from 0.61% in 2012 to 0.43% in 2022. There is continuous professional development for teachers.
In addition, 10,028 schools and education offices have Internet access through interim Internet services with speeds of 30Mbps - 100Mbps.
Ishwaar Alagesan, 18, an alumnus of SMK Jalan Empat, Bandar Baru Bangi, shared the impact of the MEB on his education journey. He scored 9A+ in his SPM and has obtained a PETRONAS scholarship for his further studies.
“The education blueprint is very comprehensive, as it has helped me develop my interest in the STEM programme. It has provided me with good exposure in many aspects. It has also given me opportunities to participate in STEM programmes and contribute to the country. I have participated in the STEM Innovation Competition, from Form 1 to Form 5, and won medals.
“I also participated in the International Conference of Young Scientists in 2020 and won a gold medal for an innovation poster in STEM.
I did a presentation on STEM innovation projects at the Malaysia Young Scientists Conference and Exhibition in 2020 and 2021, and won a gold and silver medals respectively.
“Through the syllabus, I can collaborate with teachers and university professors to develop my innovation projects.”
He said the blueprint has allowed schools to hold various STEM carnivals, as well as talks from an astronaut and doctors, which helped develop his interest in the field. My ambition is to be an aerospace engineer or astronaut.
“I got a scholarship from PETRONAS this year to study A-Levels at Kolej Yayasan UEM, Lembah Beringin in Kuala Kubu Baru. I will further my studies later in mechanical engineering in the US or UK,” he said in an interview.
A fellow panellist at the forum, Ishwaar shared that the 1Murid1Sukan policy has helped students become athletes in karate and taekwondo.
Lessons learnt
Dr Ahmad Rafee said, “The MEB is comprehensive as it has adaptable policies, involves community engagement and continuous assessment, which contributes to its overall successful implementation.”
The ministry’s Education Performance and Delivery Unit (PADU) chief executive officer Radzifuddin Nordin said, “We do the dashboard to monitor the blueprint, weekly, and monthly.
“If there is a problem, we have a problem-solving meeting at the top management level, and twice a year, we would have our review session with the Minister to bring up the issues that require ministerial intervention, action or decision.”
Radzifuddin said, “We also do the lessons learned, what we need to improve moving forward in the next year, as well as provide transparency to the public.”
He said they would address certain gaps available in the next education blueprint and make it more current, focusing on digital learning and character building of students in the education policy, which involves various types of schools.
