SHAH ALAM: The Education Ministry’s decision not to have academic classes in the first week of the 2023/2024 school session was made after conducting a review to ensure the circular will have the best impact on all stakeholders, says Minister Fadhlina Sidek.
She said it was not easy for the ministry to cancel the original 34-year-old circular that was implemented when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim took office as Education Minister.
“It’s hard to cancel the circular from the boss himself. We took a long time to ensure that this circular can really have an impact on our children, which will translate into cheerful students, happy teachers, unrivalled schools and a thriving nation,” she said.
The PKR women’s chief, according to Bernama, said this in her winding-up speech at the party’s Special National Congress at Malawati Stadium here yesterday.
Education director-general Datuk Pkharuddin Ghazali was quoted as saying that no lessons will be held in the first week of the new academic year 2023/2024 beginning March 19 and 20 to make way for sessions that instil physical, emotional, spiritual, social and intellectual values.
The new academic year will start on March 19 to March 9, 2024, for Group A states, and March 20 to March 10, 2024 for Group B states.
Group A involves Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, while Group B covers Melaka, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.
