PUTRAJAYA: The Ministry of Education (MOE) will prioritise preschool to secondary education development under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) to strengthen the national education system. Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek confirmed RM67 billion has been set aside for initiatives like new school construction and infrastructure upgrades nationwide.
“The MADANI Government’s current focus is to ensure universal enrolment at both the preschool and secondary education levels,“ she said. The Education (Amendment) Bill 2025, making secondary education compulsory, was recently passed by the Dewan Rakyat. Compulsory preschool from age five aims to provide children with a holistic early-learning foundation.
To support this, MOE will expand preschool facilities nationwide for better access and enrolment. Under 13MP, school construction will include mandatory development in large housing projects and vertical schools to ease overcrowding in urban areas.
Special emphasis will be placed on bilingual proficiency (Bahasa Melayu and English), STEM, TVET, and digital literacy, including AI. Teacher recruitment, training, and professionalism will also be prioritised.
“The 13th Malaysia Plan reflects the MADANI Government’s commitment to bold, transformative education reform for all Malaysian children,“ Fadhlina said. She thanked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for tabling the 13MP, which aligns with the Malaysia MADANI framework. – Bernama
