New housing areas must have schools under 13MP
KUALA LUMPUR: The government will make it mandatory for schools to be built in large-scale new housing developments.
This is part of the education initiatives under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
He said that under the 13MP, the government will allocate RM67 billion to build new schools and upgrade existing ones.
"The allocation will encompass the construction of new schools, repairs and upgrades of school buildings, including the Community Development Department (Kemas) centres, and infrastructure for public higher learning institutions," he said while tabling the document in Parliament.
Anwar said up to this year, the government has upgraded 1,200 schools nationwide.
He added that building schools will also become a condition for planning approval in all large-scale housing developments.
""At the same time, the government will expand the development of vertical schools to address student overcrowding and the shortage of suitable land for new school sites."
Anwar said the government is determined to ensure preschool and secondary school enrolment rates reach 98 per cent — exceeding the global average.
According to the United Nations Children's Fund, the global average for preschool enrolment is 61 to 70 per cent, and 76 tlo 80 per cent for secondary education.
"Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, which serves as the main national benchmark, will continue to be used to assess the effectiveness of education policies, curriculum, and teaching methods," said Anwar.
The five-year 13MP, which runs from 2026 to 2030, provides a strategic framework for the country's economic, social and environmental priorities.
The plan comes as Malaysia navigates an increasingly complex global environment and embarks on an ambitious domestic reform agenda.
It will also serve as a key policy platform for the unity government, which has based much of its governance on the principles of the Madani Economy.
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