Fadhlina briefing the media on the new 2027 school curriculum.
January
TAR UMT milestone
> Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah commemorated the momentous upgrade of Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR UC) to Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT) at its main campus in Setapak.> Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also Finance Minister, approved an annual allocation of RM40mil for TAR UMT by the Federal Government.
February
Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2022
> A total of 403,637 candidates sat for the written exams from Feb 20 to March 15, involving 3,355 exam centres nationwide.
First Madani budget
> Budget 2023 was retabled. The education sector was the largest beneficiary. The Education Ministry (MoE) received RM55.2bil and the Higher Education Ministry (MoHE) RM15.3bil, amounting to a total of RM70.5bil out of the RM388.1bil budget.
Zambry is the new Higher Education Minister.
March
Best Student
> Universiti Malaya (UM) engineering student Mifzal Salihin, 22, was crowned Tokoh Siswa Kebangsaan in conjunction with the Best Student Award 2022 organised by the MoHE.AprilSSPN dividend
> The National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) declared a 3.05% dividend for the National Education Savings Scheme (Simpan SSPN) for 2022. The dividend involved an allocation of RM266.17mil, which benefited 5.73 million depositors.
May
New academic calendar
> The start date for school sessions in the country will revert to January from 2026. The 2024/2025 academic calendar will start in February 2025 to allow for the school sessions to start in January for 2026.
June
SPM 2022 results
> A total of 10,109 candidates obtained excellent grades (A+, A and A-) in all subjects in the exams. A better National Average Grade (GPN) score of 4.74 was recorded compared to 4.86 last year. This was the first cohort in which more than 90% of the candidates qualified for the SPM certificate.
BM to the fore> The “Action Plan to Promote BM as the Language of Knowledge in Public Institutions of Higher Learning (IPTA) 2023-2030” was launched. It recommends conducting the teaching of compulsory subjects in IPTA in Bahasa Melayu (BM).
> The selection process for the annual recipient of the Tokoh Akademik
BM Award will be expanded to include academics from private institutions of higher learning (IPTS) from 2024. An action plan to promote BM in IPTS will be developed. Fee exemption> Some RM30mil was allocated under the Keluarga Malaysia First Child Student Development Programme (Sulung) to exempt 10,000 students from underprivileged homes from paying tuition fees at IPTA.
Flexible learning> Varsity students in certain courses can choose to attend classes on campus only for their first and final years under a hybrid learning system. Flexible learning is available for 95 degree courses in 19 public universities, which would start with the new 2023/2024 academic session.
AI allowed > IPTA students can use ChatGPT, subject to the guidelines set by the Department of Higher Education.
July
Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) 2022 results
> Of the 1,184 candidates who achieved a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 4.0 last year, 1,009 were from the bottom 40% of households (B40). The results marked an improvement compared with 2021, when 874 candidates achieved a perfect 4.0. Those who scored 5As for all five subjects had increased to 38 candidates, of whom 26 were from the B40.
New sports school
> A sports school for children with special needs will be set up in Bandar Enstek, Negri Sembilan, by 2025.
August
Subsidies stay
> To ensure that all citizens do not lose access to higher education, the government will not abolish fee subsidies for local IPTA students. Tuition fees at MoHE institutions will also not be raised.
September
Vape ban
> Action can be taken against teachers who vape in front of their students in schools. School heads must enhance discipline and counselling management as ecigarettes and vapes are banned in schools.
Sexual harassment> To create a safe ecosystem within educational institutions, the MoE launched two guidelines for managing the issues of misconduct, especially those related to bullying and sexual harassment.
UM still the top> UM maintained its lead as the country’s top-performing tertiary education institution in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, advancing to the 251-300 band in the 2024 edition of the rankings from the 351-400 band last year. In June, UM continued its reign, for the sixth consecutive year, as Malaysia’s top university in the QS World University Rankings 2024. It was also the only Malaysian varsity to be listed among the top 100 globally, climbing five spots to sit at 65th in the 20th edition of the QS rankings.
October
National Service Training Programme (PLKN) 3.0
> PLKN, now called PLKN 3.0, was revived. The first phase, which may only kick off after 2025, will involve participation at the school level, while the second phase will take place after the SPM exams.
Mental health modules
> The MoE launched six special modules and documents to guide school counsellors in helping their students face mental health issues.
MyBrain 2.0
> The MyBrain15 programme, now named MyBrain 2.0, was reintroduced. Spearheaded by the government, the sponsorship programme is set to be reimplemented next year and is targeted at individuals who are unemployed and do not have a fixed income, including lecturers from IPTS who are keen on pursuing their masters and PhDs.
Nation’s best> Infectious diseases expert Prof Datuk Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman from UM received the prestigious National Academic Figure Award at the 15th edition of the National Academic Award (AAN) presentation ceremony – the highest recognition bestowed by the MoHE. Prof Dr Adeeba is now Monash University Malaysia chief executive officer and Monash University Australia pro vice-chancellor and president (Malaysia).
Lifelong learning> The Apprenticeship Degree, which allows working adults to earn a degree without having to attend classes, was launched to encourage people to continue their educational journey or return to studying. Companies that meet the criteria can register with the MoHE’s Higher Education Department or polytechnics to enable their employees to participate in the programme, which will evaluate them through their work.
November
GEM for grads
> The MoHE launched its Graduate Employability Management (GEM) portal, a platform for graduates who are seeking practical training and employment opportunities.Loans available> To boost graduate marketability, the MoHE will offer loans for final-year students to participate in professional certification programmes next year.
Second Madani budget> Tabled in October, Budget 2024, which saw RM58.7bil allocated to the MoE and RM16.3bil to the MoHE, was passed in Parliament. Totalling RM75bil, the budget is a whopping 19% of next year’s spending.
> A cross-ministerial science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) committee will be set up to strengthen secondary school students’ interest and participation in the field.
> The MoE will embark on the National Future of Education Tour to gain feedback from parents, educators and industry on the national education development plan that is being drafted.
Digital policy
> The Digital Education Policy was launched. The core thrusts in the policy – producing digitally-savvy students, having digitally-competent educators, a visionary digital leadership culture, digital education content and committed strategic partners, and improving infrastructure and infostructure – will be in effect until 2030.
December
New Apex institute
> Politeknik Ungku Omar in Perak will be upgraded to become the country’s first Accelerated Programme for Excellence (Apex) polytechnic and transformed into a “technology institute”. Up to half of the courses offered at an Apex polytechnic will be degree programmes.
Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) results > Malaysia’s Pisa score tumbled as the Covid-19 pandemic took a toll on students’ learning. The country’s score was lower than the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average for all three domains – mathematics, scientific and reading literacy.
New curriculum > The 2027 national school curriculum will emphasise manners, morals and integrity to produce holistic, well-balanced students. The rollout of the 2027 curriculum will begin in phases, commencing with Year One and Form One in 2027, and preschoolers in 2026.
Cabinet reshuffle > Former foreign minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir was appointed Higher Education Minister in a Cabinet reshuffle which saw his predecessor, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, made Defence Minister. Datuk Mustapha Sakmud, who was previously the deputy human resources minister, was made Deputy Higher Education Minister, replacing Datuk Mohammad Yusof Apdal, who was made Deputy Science, Technology and Innovation Minister.
> Wong Kah Woh, who was a former Public Accounts Committee chairman, replaced deputy education minister Lim Hui Ying, who was made Deputy Finance Minister.
Dual Language Programme (DLP)
> The DLP issue resurfaced with stakeholders questioning the latest requirement for its implementation. MCA Youth secretary-general Saw Yee Fung told a press conference that full-DLP school officials had been told to include a mandatory non-DLP class in the next academic year as part of the criteria to conduct the programme. In response, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said schools implementing the DLP must fulfil all criteria, including students’ mastery of BM. Field visits by the MoE had shown that there were students in DLP schools who did not achieve a basic level of proficiency in BM and their mother tongue, she said.
Source: Media reports
