By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Jan 20: Malaysia will introduce a new centralised learning assessment framework for Year Four pupils starting in 2026, followed by Form Three students in 2027, as part of a major reform to strengthen the country’s education evaluation system.
According to a TVS news report, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the new approach will be implemented under the Malaysia Learning Matrix, beginning with the Year Four Learning Measurement in 2026, covering four core subjects—Bahasa Melayu, English, Mathematics and Science.
He said the Form Three Learning Measurement, scheduled to begin in 2027, will involve five main subjects: Bahasa Melayu, English, Mathematics, Science and History.
Anwar noted that both assessments will be centrally administered by the Examinations Board as part of efforts to strengthen a more comprehensive, mastery-based national education assessment system.
“This approach aims to identify students’ mastery levels earlier, enabling more targeted interventions to improve the quality of education,” he said in his speech at the launch of the National Education Development Plan (RPN) 2026–2035 at the Dewan Perdana, Putrajaya International Convention Centre.
At the same event, Anwar announced a restructuring of the entry age into the formal education system, with preschool to begin at age five and Year One at age six, effective from 2027, subject to parental readiness.
He said the move aligns with efforts to strengthen children’s learning readiness from an early stage while supporting more balanced student development.
“In the past, school entry eligibility was at age seven, but today, even five-year-olds show varying levels of maturity in line with changing times and demands.
“That is why starting in 2027, we will introduce the option for earlier entry without making it compulsory, as some parents may still feel their children are not ready,” he said.
The Prime Minister added that the government will retain eligibility for Year One entry at age seven, while encouraging parents who are ready to enrol their children in preschool as early as age five.
Meanwhile, Anwar said the government has allocated RM100 million to upgrade teachers’ rooms nationwide after noting that more than 30 per cent are in uncomfortable or unsafe conditions.
He stressed that teachers’ working environments are given due attention as they directly affect the wellbeing and motivation of educators in carrying out their responsibilities.
Anwar also reaffirmed the MADANI Government’s commitment to strengthening the national education ecosystem comprehensively, covering curriculum, assessment, infrastructure and teacher welfare, to produce knowledgeable and competitive future generations.
The newly launched education plan involves two ministries—the Ministry of Education (KPM) and the Ministry of Higher Education (KPT).
Earlier, Anwar said in a Facebook post that the plan represents an education reform for a fairer, more competitive future for children, rooted in strong values to enable them to build meaningful and dignified lives.
Under the RPN 2026–2035, KPT jointly leads the Higher Education Development Plan (RPTM), while KPM spearheads the Malaysia Education Plan (RPM) 2026–2035.
The integrated implementation of RPTM 2026–2035 and RPM 2026–2035 under the RPN reflects a phased and aligned national education policy to ensure continuity in human capital development from school to higher education.
Previously, the government allocated RM66.2 billion to the Ministry of Education under Budget 2026, an increase from the previous year, to strengthen education with a focus on school infrastructure, assistance for underprivileged students—including RM150 Early Schooling Aid for 5.2 million students—supplementary food programmes, early childhood education, teacher development, and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), with emphasis on systemic education reform. — DayakDaily
