Group B schools nationwide begin the 2026 academic year, marking the return of the national school calendar to a January start after pandemic adjustments
KUALA LUMPUR: Group B schools nationwide opened the 2026 academic year today. This marks the return of the national school calendar to a January start after several years of adjustment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Group B includes schools in Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, and the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya. All Group A schools in Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, involving nearly one million students, began the school session yesterday.
The return to a January school opening aims to realign the national education calendar to its original schedule. It also ensures more consistent teaching and learning periods throughout the year.
The RM150 Early Schooling Aid (BAP) will continue this year. Distribution to 5.2 million eligible primary and secondary students is expected to be completed by this weekend.
In PUTRAJAYA, deputy secretary-general (Management) of the Ministry of Education (MOE) Datuk Ahmad Suhaimi Endut said a total of 41,683 students reported for the first day of school. This was at all primary and secondary schools in the Federal Territory of Putrajaya today.
“Putrajaya also saw the opening of two new schools, namely Sekolah Kebangsaan Putrajaya Presint 5(1) and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Putrajaya Presint 15(1),” Ahmad Suhaimi told reporters. He spoke after welcoming students at SMK Putrajaya Presint 18(1).
In PERAK, state education director Zulkafli Mohamed Mokhtar said a total of 348,594 students from 1,105 schools across the state began the school session today. This comprised 162,759 secondary school students and 185,835 primary school pupils.
“This includes 30,456 Form One students, 29,172 Year One pupils and 16,282 preschoolers,” he said. He was met at the First Day at School programme at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Raja Perempuan Muzwin in Kuala Kangsar.
Meanwhile, a check by Bernama in Ipoh found that students at SK Tasik Damai were welcomed by a mascot. This was provided by the school’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), an initiative aimed at enlivening the atmosphere on the first day of school.
A total of 19,705 Year One pupils began the new school session today. This marks a decrease of 492 compared to the 20,197 recorded last year.
State education director Mohamad Dziauddin Mat Saad announced the figures after inspecting SK Tan Sri Awang Had Salleh in Balik Pulau. He said RM34.12 million in Bantuan Awal Persekolahan (BAP) will be distributed to parents this week, benefiting about 230,000 students statewide.
JOHOR: Ministry of Education (MOE) secretary-general Datuk Dr Aminudin Hassim said 615,120 primary and secondary school students reported for the new term. The figure includes 23,740 preschoolers, 55,406 Year One pupils and 47,237 Form One students.
“Our main focus at the MOE is to address the issue of bullying among students through the implementation of various programmes in collaboration with multiple agencies,” he said at the Back-to-School 2026 programme at SK Dato’ Onn Jaafar in Simpang Renggam.
NEGERI SEMBILAN: State education director Khalidah Omar said 17,455 Year One pupils had registered for the 2026 session. Of these, 8,059 are preschoolers enrolled in 241 schools across the state.
She noted that four new preschools have opened within secondary school compounds for the first time this year. Three are located in Seremban and one in Port Dickson.
PERLIS: State education director Rose Aza Che Ariffin reported that 3,705 Year One pupils and 3,923 Form One students have registered for this year’s school session.
MELAKA: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh said 33,385 new and returning students began the session at 319 schools. This comprises 14,220 Year One pupils, 5,837 preschoolers and 13,328 Form One students.
“Overall, more than 161,000 students statewide reported for the new school session,” he said after visiting SMK Kampung Gelam for the first day and BAP presentation.
PAHANG: A total of 451 students from SK Satak, ranging from Year One to Form Four, began the school session today. They were welcomed with various programmes organised by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM).
Batu Talam assemblyman Datuk Abd Aziz Mat Kiram also presented Tunas Makmur learning equipment kits under the Makmur Pahang Initiative to the students.
