Latest news with #Fadhlina
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Fadhlina: Education access must go beyond just physical infrastructure
PUTRAJAYA: The Education Ministry is actively working to ensure that access to education reaches every student, particularly those in rural and remote areas, said its minister Fadhlina Sidek. In her keynote address at the launch of the Sekolah Angkat Madani initiative today, Fadhlina said the effort should not be viewed solely from the perspective of infrastructure provision, but must instead take into account educational needs in a holistic manner. She also said that the ministry recognises the significant challenges many children face at home, including food insecurity, which makes the role of schools even more crucial in shaping their futures. "There are children who return home without the certainty of having a proper meal. "These are the realities we face, and they remind us that schools must not only be seen in terms of infrastructure, but also as holistic spaces for the development of our children," she said. Present at the launch of the initiative were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar. Fadhlina added that the ministry is exploring various innovative approaches, including the implementation of floating schools, specifically to provide access to education for children in areas such as Tasik Banding, Perak. She also said that some students in these areas are unable to attend school due to geographical challenges and the high cost of transportation. As such, she said the ministry's priority remains bridging the education gap, ensuring that no child is left behind, regardless of geographical or socioeconomic barriers. "The cost of getting to school can reach up to RM30 a day for a single student. "This situation places a heavy burden on families and causes some children to drop out. If they are unable to come to school, then we must bring the school to them," she said. Fadhlina added that the initiative is part of the ministry's new approach to ensuring more inclusive access to education that reflects the actual needs of local communities. "We are identifying the best model and require the support of all parties to ensure the programme can be implemented effectively," she said. She also said education should be seen as more than just physical infrastructure and should be regarded as a comprehensive support system for student development, encompassing welfare, character building and personal growth. "We are not just building schools. We are building the future of these children, and that is what truly matters," she said.
New Straits Times
11 hours ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Fadhlina: Mandatory preschool plan set for 13MP
PUTRAJAYA: Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek says the government plans to make preschool education compulsory to curb early student dropout, as part of the country's wider education reform agenda. She said the policy to make preschool education mandatory can no longer be delayed, despite challenges with infrastructure and teacher shortages, as it is key to improving the quality of the nation's education system. "We already have the compulsory primary education policy, which we consider a success in achieving universal enrolment. Then, we have the upcoming secondary school education policy, which I am confident will bring significant benefits by ensuring children have access to secondary education. "However, we want to start even earlier by making preschool education compulsory," she said in an interview with Utusan Malaysia. Fadhlina said the policy to make preschool education compulsory will be implemented under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), once infrastructure and curriculum are in place. The 13MP covers the period from 2026 to 2030. Fadhlina also said the education ministry was targeting the implementation of single-session schooling across more than 10,000 schools nationwide by 2030. "This, in turn, will create more space to conduct preschool classes," she said. Fadhlina said one of the special projects at the ministry involves screening children with special needs, which will also be expanded to the preschool level. "Pupils will be screened before entering the mainstream stream so that schools can identify whether they have conditions such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or other special needs — making it easier to customise classes accordingly," she said. Fadhlina said classes for children with special needs will be extended to the preschool level to meet rising demand. While the compulsory secondary education policy is being tabled in Parliament, the preschool policy is being finalised, she said. Malaysia's education policy aims to provide inclusive, high-quality education that develops well-rounded individuals and prepares students for global challenges.
The Sun
a day ago
- Politics
- The Sun
ASEAN Education Ministers agree on Langkawi Joint Statement on overcoming school dropouts
LANGKAWI: The Langkawi Joint Statement on Out-of-School Children and Youth (OOSCY) has been agreed by ASEAN Education Ministers as a framework to address the challenges of access to education. Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the key content of the document entitled 'Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges' will be further refined in a seminar ahead of the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October. 'We have gone through a long process to reach a consensus on this commitment. Thankfully, no amendments were made and national leaders have given their respective views on how ASEAN can act as a united community to implement interventions and address this issue seriously. 'Malaysia will translate this commitment through the organisation of a seminar in October, and we hope that it can be changed to action after being agreed upon by all Education Ministers as a joint commitment,' she said at a press conference after the ASEAN Education Ministers and Higher Education Ministers Roundtable (#EduRoundtables2025) here today. Fadhlina also stressed that the issue of student dropout as well as the level of numeracy and literacy are closely linked to poverty and must be given serious attention. In Malaysia, for example, she said several interventions have been implemented, including leading the issue of foundational learning through expanding access to preschool education, establishing a special committee to strengthen the curriculum, and examining the need for digital technology reforms, including classrooms powered by artificial intelligence. Langkawi's Joint Statement on OOSCY acknowledges that crises and challenges in the ASEAN region including climate change, conflict situations, deepening poverty, income inequality and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated the inequality gap in education. 'We emphasise the urgent need to address educational disparities to ensure inclusive, accessible and high-quality education for OOSCY as underscored in the ASEAN Declaration on Strengthening Education for OOSCY, adopted in 2016. 'We underscore the necessity for ASEAN Member States to accelerate the implementation of innovative, targeted, and meaningful strategies within and across ASEAN to reduce the number of OOSCY within and across ASEAN states. 'We hereby call upon ASEAN Member States, in collaboration with development partners, civil society, and the private sector, to accelerate the adoption of innovative, technology-enabled and inclusive education strategies that ensure equitable learning opportunities for OOSCY, thereby fostering a resilient and future-ready ASEAN Community,' the document said. Among the strategies highlighted to address OOSCY issues include Technology-Enabled Learning Solutions, AI-powered predictive analytics and data utilisation, capacity-building programmes, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), collaboration with NGOs and civil society organisations. Other strategies are Alternative and Flexible Learning Pathways, Crisis-Responsive Education Policies, Inclusive Education Initiatives, Skills Development and Workforce Readiness, and Cross-Border Collaboration and Data-Driven Decision-Making. This year marks the fifth time Malaysia has served as ASEAN Chairman, having held the position in 1977, 1997, 2005 and 2015.
The Sun
a day ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Use of technology, competent teachers among efforts to address student dropout issues in ASEAN, says Fadhlina
LANGKAWI: ASEAN countries have identified three main interventions in their joint efforts to address the issue of dropouts and out-of-school children and youth (OOSCY), namely the expansion of preschool education, use of technology and competent teachers. Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the issue was the main focus during the joint statement session held in conjunction with the two-day ASEAN Education and Higher Education Ministers' Roundtable 2025 (#EduRoundtables2025) which started here yesterday. 'Our focus in this meeting is on the issue of dropouts, out-of-school children and youth, which emphasises several important interventions for us to consider as an ASEAN community to address this issue. 'In the meeting just now, the leaders of these countries have already given their respective views on how ASEAN can move as one community to seriously address this issue together,' she said. According to her, among the initial approaches discussed was the enforcement of compulsory preschool education policies as implemented in Brunei. 'Brunei has already pioneered that agenda, as mentioned in the speech by Brunei's Minister of Education earlier, that among the ways to ensure that children receive their rights is to start by enforcing laws for mandatory preschool education policies. 'We are also looking into that situation, and at the level of the Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE), we hope to bring it to the next Parliament session. Hopefully, we will have time to present our amendments for the compulsory education policy, starting with secondary schools first,' she said during a press conference after #EduRoundtables2025 here today. Commenting further, Fadhlina said the second focus is on the use of technology as an important tool in addressing the issue of dropouts. 'There are indeed several important approaches to see the need for this technology to become tools in addressing the issue of dropouts. 'I remember that at the MOE level, we have the DELIma (Digital Educational Learning Initiative Malaysia) platform... for teachers to fully utilise this platform to identify several issues of dropouts, memorisation, literacy, and to use all the applications in this DELIma platform for technology use in the classroom and addressing several dropout issues,' she said. Fadhlina also emphasised that besides infrastructure, the need for competent teachers is equally important to support the expansion of early childhood education. 'So, among the concerns expressed and the views from UNESCO and ICESCO (Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) is the need to provide competent teachers to ensure that these preschool children can have exposure to early education at the preschool level before starting their formal education at the mainstream level,' she said. She also said that these efforts are in line with the education reforms being implemented by the MOE0, including drafting the new education development plan and the massive expansion of preschool education. Meanwhile, the event began yesterday with a forum themed 'Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Mitigating Out-of-School Children and Youth (OOSCY) Challenges,' aimed at strengthening collective efforts through the sharing of information related to groups lacking access to education and at risk of dropping out, as well as other issues related to dropouts. In addition to ASEAN members and Timor Leste as observers, the ASEAN Education Forum is also being attended by representatives from international organisations such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO) and ICESCO. This year marks the fifth time Malaysia has held the ASEAN Chairmanship, having previously held the position in 1977, 1997, 2005 and 2015.
The Star
a day ago
- Politics
- The Star
Asean ministers agree to Langkawi joint statement on overcoming school dropouts, says Fadhlina
LANGKAWI: The Langkawi Joint Statement on Out-of-School Children and Youth (OOSCY) has been agreed upon by Asean Education Ministers as a framework to address the challenges of access to education. Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October. "We went through a long process to reach consensus on this commitment. Thankfully, no amendments were needed, and national leaders have shared their views on how Asean can act as a united community to implement interventions and address this issue seriously. "Malaysia will bring this commitment to life through the organisation of a seminar in October, and we hope it can be translated into action after being agreed upon by all Education Ministers as a joint commitment," she said at a press conference following the Asean Education Ministers and Higher Education Ministers Roundtable (#EduRoundtables2025) here on Thursday (June 19). Fadhlina also emphasised that the issues of student dropout rates and the levels of numeracy and literacy are closely tied to poverty and must receive serious attention. In Malaysia, for example, several interventions have been implemented, including leading the foundational learning issue by expanding access to preschool education, establishing a special committee to strengthen the curriculum, and examining the need for digital technology reforms, including AI-powered classrooms. Langkawi's Joint Statement on OOSCY acknowledges that crises and challenges in the Asean region, including climate change, conflict situations, deepening poverty, income inequality, and the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, have exacerbated educational inequality. "We emphasise the urgent need to address educational disparities to ensure inclusive, accessible, and high-quality education for OOSCY as highlighted in the Asean Declaration on Strengthening Education for OOSCY, adopted in 2016. "We underscore the necessity for Asean Member States to accelerate the implementation of innovative, targeted, and meaningful strategies within and across Asean to reduce the number of OOSCY. "We hereby call upon Asean Member States, in collaboration with development partners, civil society, and the private sector, to accelerate the adoption of innovative, technology-enabled, and inclusive education strategies that ensure equitable learning opportunities for OOSCY, thus fostering a resilient and future-ready Asean Community," the document stated. Among the strategies highlighted to address OOSCY issues are Technology-Enabled Learning Solutions, AI-powered predictive analytics and data utilisation, capacity-building programmes, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), and collaboration with NGOs and civil society organisations. Other strategies include Alternative and Flexible Learning Pathways, Crisis-Responsive Education Policies, Inclusive Education Initiatives, Skills Development and Workforce Readiness, and Cross-Border Collaboration and Data-Driven Decision-Making. This year marks the fifth time Malaysia has served as Asean chairman, having held the position in 1977, 1997, 2005, and 2015. – Bernama
