The 2026/2027 school session started today in Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, involving almost one million students across primary and secondary schools
KUALA LUMPUR: The 2026/2027 school year commenced smoothly today for all Group A schools in Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, involving almost one million students.
In Kedah, 345,259 students across 753 primary and secondary schools began the new session.
State Education Department (JPN) director Abdul Rahim Mat said the figures comprised 199,208 pupils in 548 primary schools and 146,051 students in 205 secondary schools.
A total of 29,004 pupils entered Year One and 28,778 students entered Form One, with 30,674 teachers reporting for duty.
“School operations throughout Kedah have so far been running smoothly,” he said after visiting Sultan Abdul Hamid College in Alor Setar.
Abdul Rahim said the main focus for the Kedah JPN this year is to address student dropouts and absenteeism.
In Kelantan, 333,206 primary and secondary school students started the school session across the state.
The Kelantan Education Department said the figure comprised 204,389 primary school pupils and 128,817 secondary school students.
Deputy secretary-general (Planning and Development) of the Ministry of Education (MOE) Datuk Wan Hashim Wan Rahim said Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Pulau Beluru in Tumpat has become the state’s first Comprehensive Special Education Model School 11 (K11).
He said it is an upgrade from the previous K9 category, involving phased implementation of additional facilities to address overcrowding.
“The ministry is now focusing on constructing additional blocks such as classrooms and support facilities that can be completed within six months,” he added.
In Terengganu, 256,822 students in 507 schools began the school session today.
Deputy director-general of Education (School Operations Sector) Zainal Abas said the total included 9,528 preschoolers, 148,886 primary pupils in 352 schools, and 107,936 secondary students in 155 schools.
He said this year marks the first implementation of the new preschool curriculum.
“These preschoolers will also be the first cohort to use the new school curriculum when they enter Year One in 2027,” Zainal said.
He added that students will benefit from the Supplementary Food Programme (RMT) at the beginning of the school session.
The RMT is one of 18 forms of government assistance provided to school students.
According to the 2026 Academic Calendar, the school session for schools in Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, and the Federal Territories will begin tomorrow.
