PUTRAJAYA: School safety will be a key priority for the Education Ministry in Budget 2026 scheduled for tabling on October 10 in the Dewan Rakyat.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the ministry’s other focus areas include Technical and Vocational Education and Training development, anti-bullying support initiatives, digital and technology matters, Curriculum 2027 preparations and a new education development plan.
“There are several important matters, including TVET, which we will focus on more specifically, in the context of looking at the current national priorities, needs, and direction,“ she told media after launching the National Reading Decade 2025.
“Overall, our presentation, submissions, and requests for the Budget 2026 are very comprehensive and certainly have specific targets to continue enhancing and elevating the quality of the nation’s education.”
The ministry received RM64.1 billion allocation in last year’s budget.
Fadhlina reported that over 700 of the 10,000 schools nationwide have undergone safety audits to ensure optimal safety standards.
“We still have a long way to go, but we are seeing very good progress,“ she said.
“We will announce the audit’s preliminary findings in the near future.”
The ministry had earlier directed school inspectors to conduct safety audits with weekly reporting as part of initiatives to strengthen safety in schools and hostels.
Meanwhile, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka stated that the National Reading Decade 2025 is part of a long-term national initiative running from 2021 to 2030.
It aims to foster reading culture and position Malaysia among the top 20 reading nations by 2030 under the #MalaysiaMembaca aspiration.
“The implementation of DMK is a collaborative effort, involving various ministries, government agencies, the private sector, non-governmental organisations and the wider community,“ the statement read.
“Through this initiative, the government aims to establish Malaysia as a reading nation and cultivate a world-class, knowledgeable society.”
The initiative targets increasing books read by Malaysians from an average of 15 to 50 titles annually by 2030. – Bernama
