We celebrate Merdeka with great splendour every year without fail, and so we did for the 69th time last week. It is the time of the year when photographs of the Merdeka era — preceding, during and following its declaration — flood our mainstream newspapers, and now mostly smartphones and laptops, iPads and whatever-gadget-you-have, their screens filling with nostalgic images especially for the boomers such as me. While still in school, I had had the opportunity to meet in per

At Sekolah Kebangsaan Gemang in Jeli, Kelantan, Cikgu Mazita teaches under the Trust Schools Programme. The experience has changed how she sees her classroom: “Students are simply the priority when we plan the lesson module. Centred on the students’ needs, the teachers are given freedom and leeway to teach the subject, giving us the right dose of creativity to express, ultimately, ourselves.” That sense of purpose is what the Ministry of Education (MoE) now hopes to replicate

While the prime minister continues to assure education stakeholders that proficiency in the English language in schools will be enhanced, parents are still unclear as to what it really means. In spite of the numerous initiatives put in place over many years, students still hesitate to speak the language for fear of being laughed at or ridiculed, or are merely afraid of making mistakes. For any language, not just English, it is a steep learning curve unless one begins early en

When MARA (Majlis Amanah Rakyat) chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki announced last month that the agency would open pilot cadet financing with priority given to tahfiz science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students, social media erupted in its predictable fashion — mockery on one side, righteous indignation on the other. Both camps, frankly, missed the more important conversation. Proposing that MARA prioritise tahfiz students for pilot training sponsorsh

Held on May 1, 2026, at the World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur, the Bumiputera Education Congress (BEC) was a cornerstone event marking the 80th anniversary of Umno. Rather surprisingly, this is the first time such a congress on education has been organised during the party’s lifespan. The congress was chaired by Minister of Higher Education Datuk Seri Dr Zam­bry Abdul Kadir, whose speech was a clear pivot from access to outcomes — arguing that bumiputera education reform must

The Ministry of Education recently celebrated the 2025 SPM results, highlighting a steady improvement in the National Grade Average. While we congratulate this cohort of students for their hard work, for many sceptics familiar with the standard administrative sound bites, several uncomfortable questions come to mind. How is it that the first SPM batch to have never sat for a major high-stakes exam in their lives outperformed all their predecessors? How is it that our schools

For parents new to the national school system, here is an attempt to outline the changes and challenges that we can expect in 2027. In the new Malaysian curriculum, the focus on English is stronger in structure, but more balanced in positioning. English remains a core subject at both primary (KSSR) and secondary (KSSM) levels. It is not an elective and it continues to receive structured instructional time throughout schooling. The curriculum is aligned with the Common Europea

Malaysia has officially reached a state of blueprint fatigue. On Jan 20, the public was presented with the National Education Plan (RPM) 2026-2035, yet another 10-year road map promising future-ready students and artificial intelligence (AI) integration. While a visionary document is necessary, history has proven that in the Ministry of Education (MoE), drafting a blueprint is the easy part. We have been through this cycle countless times, yet we are left with the same questi

Experts and academics argue that Malaysia must shift from exam-centric learning to holistic development, focusing on creativity, problem-solving, sustainability and lifelong learning. As the country enters 2026 with sweeping education reforms on the horizon, parents should welcome the ambition — but not surrender their vigilance. For decades, our education system has been driven by examinations, rankings and a narrow definition of success. The new reforms promise a shift towa

Malaysia’s ambition to become a digital powerhouse — attracting massive continuous investments from global giants like the US and China in data centres and artificial intelligence (AI) — rests on a single, critical foundation: the quality of its future workforce. The current reality, however, poses a significant threat to this vision. Our multi-faceted education system, encompassing diverse standards from SPM, STPM, UEC, STAM, IGCSE, and various religious and private schools,