13MP: Govt to expand preschool facilities to support compulsory early education
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the move to mandate preschool education starting at the age of five is intended to provide children with a holistic and comprehensive foundational learning experience.
"To ensure the success of this effort, more Education Ministry-run preschool facilities will be opened nationwide," she said in a statement today.
She said the recently passed Education (Amendment) Bill 2025, which mandates secondary education, marked a major milestone in the government's education reform efforts.
"The Madani government is focused on achieving universal enrolment at both the preschool and secondary education levels.
"As such, under the 13th Malaysia Plan, the ministry will focus entirely on preschool to secondary education to ensure a more focused and effective education system and regulatory framework."
Fadhlina said that special emphasis would also be placed on integrated efforts to strengthen proficiency in Bahasa Melayu and English, reinforce the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), as well as digital literacy, including artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
Meanwhile, she said a total of RM67 billion has been allocated for the education sector, including the construction of new schools and the improvement and upgrading of educational infrastructure nationwide.
In addition, she said the initiative to make school construction a requirement for new large-scale housing projects, along with the expansion of vertical school development, would also be implemented.
Anwar, during the tabling yesterday, said the move was aimed at addressing student overcrowding and the shortage of suitable land for new school sites.
As for teachers, Fadhlina said the Madani government would focus on improving the recruitment of new teachers, preparatory training programmes, and the enhancement of in-service teachers' competencies and professionalism.
She said the 13MP was a manifestation of the Madani government's commitment and efforts to reform the national education system through a bold new approach for the benefit of Malaysian children.
Yesterday, during the tabling of the 13MP, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the government would make preschool education compulsory from the age of five to enhance educational outcomes.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
US court upholds bar on LA immigration arrests without probable cause
A federal appeals court late on Friday affirmed a lower court's decision temporarily barring U.S. government agents from making immigration-related arrests in Los Angeles without probable cause. Rejecting the Trump administration's request to pause the lower court's order, the three-judge appeals panel ruled that the plaintiffs would likely be able to prove that federal agents had carried out arrests based on peoples' appearance, language and where they lived or worked. President Donald Trump called National Guard troops and U.S. Marines into Los Angeles in June in response to protests against the immigration raids, marking an extraordinary use of military force to support civilian police operations within the United States. The city of Los Angeles and other Southern California municipalities joined a lawsuit filed in June by the American Civil Liberties Union accusing federal agents of using unlawful police tactics such as racial profiling to meet immigration arrest quotas set by the administration. A California judge last month blocked the Trump administration from racially profiling immigrants as it seeks deportation targets and from denying immigrants' right to access to lawyers during their detention. In Friday's unsigned decision, the judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit largely rejected the administration's appeal of the temporary restraining order. The judges agreed with the lower court in blocking federal officials from detaining people based solely on 'apparent race or ethnicity,' speaking Spanish or accented English, or being at locations such as a 'bus stop, car wash, tow yard, day laborer pick up site, agricultural site, etc.' The Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside business hours. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the order a victory for the city. 'The Temporary Restraining Order that has been protecting our communities from immigration agents using racial profiling and other illegal tactics when conducting their cruel and aggressive enforcement raids and sweeps will remain in place for now,' she said in a statement. Mohammad Tajsar, senior staff attorney at the ACLU Foundation of Southern California, welcomed the ruling in statement: 'This decision is further confirmation that the administration's paramilitary invasion of Los Angeles violated the Constitution and caused irreparable injury across the region.' - Reuters
Borneo Post
an hour ago
- Borneo Post
13MP a people-centric plan anchored by infrastructure, says Works Minister
Nanta (left) speaks to reporters. – Photo by Agnes Tugong KUCHING (Aug 2): The 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) has been described as a people-centric and holistic blueprint for national development by Works Minister Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi, who voiced his strong support for its implementation. At a press conference today, Nanta said the plan's broad focus – particularly in uplifting sectors such as education – would only be achievable with robust infrastructure as its foundation. 'As the Works Ministry, our core responsibility lies in enhancing infrastructure. Without proper road access, progress in other sectors like education and health becomes difficult,' he said. He stressed that while education projects fall under the Ministry of Education, the technical execution and physical delivery are handled by the Public Works Department (JKR), which is under the Works Ministry. Nanta was speaking after officiating the handover of two newly completed school projects by JKR to the Ministry of Education at SK Rantau Panjang in Batu Kawa. On infrastructure projects proposed under 13MP and tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim last Thursday, Nanta highlighted the planned 70-kilometre road linking Nanga Serau to Nanga Seranau in Kapit – a project he described as transformative. 'This road will greatly improve accessibility for communities along the northern bank of the Batang Rajang River, benefitting at least 10,000 residents,' he said. He also provided updates on the Sarawak segment of the Trans-Borneo Highway, which consists of three sections – from Kuala Baram to the Sungai Tujoh ICQS, through Brunei's separated territories, and onward to Limbang. 'Although parts of the highway do not pass through the interior, the benefits will still reach rural populations,' he added. He further noted that Limbang, as a key township, is poised to benefit significantly from enhanced connectivity provided by the highway. 13MP alexander nanta linggi infrastructure development people-centric
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Digital Ministry to intensify 13MP initiatives, says Gobind
KUALA LUMPUR: The Digital Ministry is set to further transform the national digital landscape under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) with major initiatives, including the establishment of a National Data Bank and the deployment of digital twin technology. Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said the National Data Bank would serve as a national repository for high-quality datasets across ministries and sectors, enabling streamlined data access and improved analytics. While, the national digital twin systems would provide real-time modelling capabilities to simulate complex environments, helping policymakers test and refine decisions, he said. "Together, they will power AI-based decision-making across domains such as urban planning, disaster response, logistics, and healthcare,' he said in a statement on Saturday (Aug 2). Gobind said the government would also establish a National Data Commission, an independent body under the ministry aimed to safeguard data assets and foster a culture of responsible innovation. He said the proposed commission would oversee data governance, enforce secure sharing practices, promote ethical data use, support transparent and crosssector data collaboration, as well as play a critical role in managing the national digital infrastructure and enhancing public trust in an increasingly data-driven economy. In addition, he said the GovTech Malaysia would spearhead digital public services transformation by coordinating efforts across ministries and agencies, with its pivotal role would be in deploying a comprehensive digital public infrastructure, enhancing system interoperability, and accelerating the rollout of end-to-end online services. "A flagship initiative under 13MP is the creation of a single government service window, anchored by the MyGov mobile application and the portal, which will provide citizens with unified, secure, and personalised access to public services through a single platform. "Access to this platform will be exclusively enabled via MyDigital ID, ensuring a secure and universal digital credential for all Malaysians,' he said. According to Gobind, these initiatives support the government's target for 95 per cent of federal government services to be delivered fully online by 2030, and aligns with the aspiration to place Malaysia among the top 20 countries in the United Nations' eGovernment Development Index (Online Service Index) by the same year. "The 13MP signifies a national commitment, and essentially serves as a blueprint for Malaysia to become a digitally advanced, highly productive, prosperous and citizen-centric nation. This reflects Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's commitment to ensure the country's agenda towards Malaysia Digital 2030 succeeds,' he said. On the upcoming Asean AI Summit that will be held from Aug 12-13 and Kuala Lumpur Smart City Expo (Sept 17-19), Gobind said it would serve as a perfect platform for the ministry to expand on the initiatives listed in the 13MP. "This event will not only benefit local players but foreign guests who will get a feel of Malaysia's aspiration in wanting to be a global player in the digital sphere. Such event will also attract investors to take notice of our thriving digital economy that recorded RM163.6bil in total approved digital investments last year,' he said. - Bernama
