PUTRAJAYA, June 16 — The Ministry of Education (MOE) aims to raise the universal enrolment rate for secondary schools to over 95 per cent, in line with the Education (Amendment) Act 2025, which will come into force soon.

Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said the success of primary school enrolment, rising from about 92 per cent in 2003 to over 99 per cent in 2026, proved the effectiveness of the compulsory education policy implemented 23 years ago.

“Now our desire, our goal, is no longer limited to primary education alone. We want to ensure this, as we have currently achieved a universal enrolment of 94 per cent at the secondary school level.

“Once the amendments to the Education (Amendment) Act 2025 come into force, we hope to surpass the universal enrolment target of 95 per cent and increase it further in the coming years,” he said at the MOE 2025 Excellent Service Award and Excellent Service Medal Presentation Ceremony, as well as the 2025/2026 Jasamu Dikenang ceremony, here today.

Also present were MOE secretary-general Datuk Wan Hashim Wan Rahim and director-general of Education Datuk Dr Mohd Azam Ahmad.

Last July, the Dewan Rakyat passed the Education (Amendment) Bill 2025, which expands the definition of compulsory education to include secondary schooling. It mandates that all Malaysian children must be enrolled in secondary school for the duration of their studies.

Wong said that the amended act was not punitive but intended to raise awareness among parents and students about the importance of completing Form Five.

He said KPM is committed to ensuring educational access for all Malaysians by expanding the Comprehensive Special Model School 9 (K9) and Comprehensive Special Model School 11 (K11) initiatives.

The K9 model refers to nine years of schooling across the primary and lower secondary levels, with pupils spending six years in primary school and three years in lower secondary school within the same institution. The K11 model offers more comprehensive access to education from primary to secondary levels for 11 years, namely from Year One to Form Five, in the same school.

He added that there are currently 26 K9 schools and nine K11 schools nationwide.

“Next year, KPM aims to add seven more K11 schools, bringing the total to 16, with targeted locations including Perak, Terengganu, Kelantan, Pahang, and Sabah.

“The schools have been identified and we are making the necessary efforts and preparations. Once everything is finalised, we will provide details regarding these schools,” he said. — Bernama 

GEORGE TOWN, June 15 — The federal government has guaranteed that no vernacular schools will be closed under its administration, Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said today.

He reaffirmed Putrajaya’s commitment to protect the existing Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools in Malaysia.

Wong said vernacular schools remain an important component of the national education system and dismissed long-standing concerns among communities over the fate of schools facing enrolment, land or infrastructure challenges.

“Under the Madani government, we guarantee that no school, whether a national school, SJKC or SJKT, will be closed,” he said in his speech after attending a handing over ceremony of an approval letter for the construction of a new building for SJKT Rajaji in Air Itam here.

He said Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek had repeatedly stressed since 2023 that vernacular schools are part of Malaysia’s education landscape and would continue to receive government support.

The deputy minister also announced that maintenance allocations for Tamil vernacular schools nationwide have been increased to RM50 million this year, more than double the annual allocations provided in recent years.

“The funding will benefit about 527 SJKTs nationwide,” he said adding that the Education Ministry is finalising the distribution of the allocations based on the schools’ individual needs and enrolment levels.

“We will not simply divide the allocation equally because some schools are larger, some are smaller, and their maintenance requirements differ,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said 22 government-aided SJKTs in Penang will receive furniture worth RM1.156 million through an initiative funded by the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra).

On SJKT Rajaji, Wong officially handed over the ministry’s approval letter for the construction of the school’s new location in Farlim.

The 76-year-old school, which currently has about 100 pupils and 20 preschoolers, will relocate to a 2.3-acre site provided by the Penang state government.

He said construction is expected to cost about RM8 million and will be fully funded by a private developer.

The project is targeted for completion within 18 months, with the school expected to begin operating at its new premises by the 2029 academic session.

Wong said the approval reflected the government’s commitment to developing schools across all education streams, including national, Chinese vernacular and Tamil vernacular schools.

“Whether it is a national school, SJKC or SJKT, all are under the focus and radar of the Ministry of Education,” he said.