There must be no discrimination in education, says Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek (pic).
“Confucius was the first educator to put forward the idea of teaching without discrimination.
“Given the current situation, especially post-pandemic (period), we recognise that children from less privileged backgrounds are at a greater disadvantage.
“This inequality will continue to widen if we don’t take any steps to improve the situation,” she said during a briefing for editors on a soon-to-be implemented intervention programme on Sept 10.
The programme, which aims to address the widespread issue of student dropout, is set to launch on Sept 27.
She said the process of developing and implementing the programme has been challenging due to the need to obtain data for the second assessment, which requires involvement of all stakeholders.
The first assessment carried out in March was part of the curriculum reform agenda, she said, adding that 122,000 Year One pupils were found to not have mastered the 3M skills – reading, writing and counting.
“Therefore, collaboration from all parties is needed to address every cohort of children from Year One up to Form Five.
“We cannot do it alone. We need a synergistic approach,” she said, adding that the upcoming intervention programme will ensure that no child is left behind in the education system.
“It takes a village to raise a child. Similarly, it will take all of us to build a strong education system,” she said, stressing that everyone has a part to play in spreading the message about the importance of education.
The involvement of the entire community is essential in expediting outreach efforts, she said.
“With the right message, and through the commitment we’ve shown — particularly in the training of teachers — we are confident that we can address these challenges more effectively,” she said.
While being transparent in facing challenges is important, she said it is equally crucial that success stories from the latest Malaysian education blueprint report are shared with parents and the wider community, as the ministry works to implement the education reform agenda bolstered through the establishment of the six task forces.
In March, the ministry set up six task forces to empower national education in preschool; curriculum intervention; science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM); digital education; technical and vocational education and training (TVET); and Upholding the Malay Language and Strengthening Command of English (MBMMBI).
“Over the past 11 years of implementing the education development plan, we have seen significant progress in increasing access to education, as reflected in higher school enrolment rates.
“This means that in Malaysia, our children generally do not face barriers to attending school, except in cases where other issues arise — these are the challenges we are committed to addressing.
“Therefore, we hope for the full support of the community to help spread the message of the upcoming programme, especially in the targeted states,” she said.
