Muar MP warns diagnostic tests for six-year-olds entering Year One could entrench inequality and stigma
PETALING JAYA: Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman slammed the government’s proposal to introduce diagnostic tests for six-year-old children entering Year One as regressive, warning it could entrench inequality and stigma in early education.
Questioning the rationale behind the move, the former youth and sports minister said subjecting children as young as five to screening tests would create a two-tier system that benefits wealthier families while disadvantaging those from underprivileged backgrounds.
“We can lower the school entry age, but if opportunities are not equal, what we are actually lowering is justice in education,” he told the Dewan Rakyat.
Syed Saddiq warned that the proposed screening – which the Education Ministry said would assess children’s readiness through skills tests and psychoanalysis – would disproportionately favour those with access to quality preschools, typically from upper M40 and T20 households.
Children from poorer families, many of whom do not attend preschool due to cost or limited access, could fall behind if they fail the screening, leaving them a year behind their peers throughout their schooling, he said.
“What happens to late bloomers and neurodivergent children?” he asked, adding that some children may not perform well at an early age but could excel later in life.
“If they fail this test, they are not just entering Year One later – they are effectively penalised by being permanently a year behind until secondary school,” he added.
Syed Saddiq also cautioned that the policy, though framed as optional, would pressure parents to enrol their children early for fear of being labelled “slow” or less capable.
“It is sold as a choice, but in truth it is a choice coloured by pressure and stigma,” he said.
He further warned that preschools and childcare centres risk becoming “stress schools” as they are forced to adopt exam-focused approaches to prepare children for the tests, undermining the core purpose of early childhood education.
Syed Saddiq also raised concerns over the additional burden on teachers, saying the tests could generate up to 450,000 individual assessments annually despite existing teacher shortages.
“With both six- and seven-year-olds entering Year One, class sizes could balloon to ‘sardine tin’ levels, with one teacher potentially handling up to 50 pupils instead of the usual 30,” he said.
He criticised testing five-year-olds as regressive, saying even a “simple” test would strain teachers, childcare centres, parents and the children themselves, potentially causing psychological stress.
With that, Syed Saddiq called for the scrapping of the double-tier system.
“Some government supporters argue that this is to internationalise Malaysia’s education because other developed countries have done it.
“But those countries have free, accessible, quality preschool education and no two-tier entry system.
“They do not have diagnostic tests that allow some children to enter while others cannot based on location or teacher availability,” he said.
As an alternative, he urged the government to ensure universal access to free and quality preschool education before implementing changes to the school entry age.
“If we want to bring education forward, preschool must be free, accessible and of quality.
Announcing first and thinking later is not policy-making,” he said.
He nevertheless reiterated his support for other government education initiatives, including introducing third-language teachers in every school, providing free education for students with disabilities, and doubling the number of scholarships from 5,000 to 10,000.
“I support many of the government’s education initiatives.
“What I disagree with is not the intention, but the method of implementation.
“Good intentions do not justify poor implementation,” he added.
Earlier, opposition MPs also raised concerns over the proposed diagnostic tests.
Opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin questioned whether schools and teachers would be ready if the policy is implemented nationwide next year.
Former Education Minister Datuk Radzi Jidin also urged the ministry to clarify the framework, including the type and scope of the screening and who would conduct it.
He warned the tests could inadvertently create inequalities, increase pressure on parents, and spur tuition classes aimed at helping children “pass” the assessments.
