KUALA LUMPUR: Some 122,062 Year 1 pupils were identified as not having mastered basic reading, writing, and arithmetic skills, says Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek.
She said the total number, or 27.24% of 448,113 pupils screened, was identified through the first phase of an intervention programme held three months into the 2024/2025 academic year.
“These pupils have been given more focused guidance and intensive teaching through the first phase of the intervention programme held from July to September this year.
“Results from data analysis as of Oct 30, 2024, show that 48,308 pupils (39.58%) successfully mastered these essential skills and resumed regular classes.
“Meanwhile, the remaining 73,754 pupils (60.42%), who did not reach the proficiency level, continued with the second phase of the intervention for another three months (October to December),” she said in a written response to a question by Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (BN- Ayer Hitam) in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (Dec 3).
Dr Wee had asked the ministry regarding the current status of the Curriculum Intervention for Level One students and its impact on alleviating the workload of primary and secondary school teachers in the subjects of science and mathematics.
Fadhlina said that pupils still struggling after the second phase would be eligible for a Special Recovery Programme conducted by remedial teachers in Year 2, ensuring intensive guidance tailored to their needs.
She added that the Education Ministry has rolled out the third edition of the Standard Curriculum for Primary Schools (KSSR) alignment document for subjects including Science, Mathematics, Bahasa Melayu, and English.
“This document allows teachers the flexibility to either adopt the new curriculum or continue with the existing one.
“The revised curriculum focuses on core concepts, reducing the teaching burden and is designed to be used in conjunction with the First Level Guidance Module (MOBIM).
“MOBIM aims to assist teachers in planning more structured and level-appropriate lessons,” she added.
Fadhlina also said that based on an online survey conducted between June 6 and June 21, 2024, involving 20,930 primary school Science and Mathematics teachers, it was found that 18,321 educators have already integrated the KSSR alignment document in their teaching practices.
“Teachers are opting to use the alignment document to plan more systematic and effective teaching strategies,” said Fadhlina.
She added that her ministry had also initiated an early literacy and numeracy detection screening along with a Year 1 Intervention Programme, just three months into the 2024/2025 academic session.
“The Education Ministry, in collaboration with the Finance Ministry through the 'Anak Kita' programme led by Unit Pantau Madani and Yayasan Hasanah, seeks to further address dropout issues by focusing on enhancing literacy and numeracy levels among Year 2 to Year 6 pupils,” she said.
This programme involves 53,252 students from 1,288 primary schools across seven states, including Kedah, Perak, Selangor, Johor, Kelantan, Sabah, and Sarawak.
“For 2024, RM100mil has been allocated for the implementation of this programme, with an additional RM30mil earmarked for 2025.
“The ministry remains committed to continuously monitoring and refining each initiative to ensure the well-being and educational success of teachers and students nationwide,” she added.
