Rafizi suggests ending schooling at 16 to prepare for ageing nation

New Straits Times

12 hours ago

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia should consider having students complete secondary school by the age of 16 to allow them to enter the workforce by 21.
Former economy minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli said such a policy shift was necessary as Malaysia transitions into an ageing nation, requiring a younger workforce to contribute earlier to the economy.
"We must rethink the structure. If our children finish school at 16, by the time they complete tertiary education or skills training, they can start working at 21.
"That gives us a more productive population while buying us time to manage ageing-related challenges," he said during the debate on the 13th Malaysia Plan.
Commenting on claims that the 13MP lacks focus on economic and development projects, Rafizi said those areas had already been addressed in 2023 and 2024.
He added that structural reforms in education are being prioritised under the 13MP, particularly through investments in early childhood education.
He said universal preschool from the age of 5 is crucial due to the "garbage in, garbage out" principle — if children's development is not optimised between the ages of five and nine, they risk falling behind by Standard Four or Five.
"If we don't invest early, we'll be dealing with the consequences later. In education, it's garbage in, garbage out — and by the time students reach Standard Four or Five, it may be too late.
"That's why, if you look at the 13MP, we didn't even specify figures — how many billions and so on — but the commitment is to provide universal preschool education.
"This means that regardless of who forms the government in future, there must be a priority to ensure that within the next five to ten years, schools across the country are able to provide universal preschool services to all," he said.
He added that countries with strong education systems focus their resources on early years instead of waiting until upper secondary or university.
Rafizi who is Pandan member of parliament also argued that universal preschool would ease financial burdens for young families, as current costs were often prohibitive.
"This will ease the burden on young families who currently struggle with the high cost of preschool. By ensuring every school in the country can offer preschool, we'll be saving thousands of families over the coming years.
"This is about building long-term foundations. If we want reforms, education is the place to start — and it must begin early," he said.
Previously, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that the government will make preschool education compulsory from the age of 5 to enhance educational outcomes.