Gov Policies

A. 10 TH Malaysian Plan (2011-2015) – RMK10

Chapter 5 – ‘Developing and Retaining A First-World Talent Base’ (Education)

Objectives

The 10th Malaysian Plan or 10MP seeks to focus on;

1) Developing Malaysians across their entire lifecycle all the way to their adult working

lives

2) Strengthening Malaysia’s education system starting from early childhood education up to

higher education.

Purpose / Mission

Based on the 10MP, the Government will adopt an integrated human capital and talent

development framework, by specifically implementing these three missions;

I. Revamping the education system to significantly raise student outcomes

II. Raising the skills of the Malaysians to increase employability

III. Reforming the labour market to transform Malaysia into high income nation

i. Revamping the education system to significantly raise student outcomes

a) Ensure every child can succeed.

b) Hold schools accountable for changes in student outcomes.

c) Investing in great leaders for every school

d) Attracting and developing top talent in teaching

e) Transforming the effectiveness of delivery

The Government focuses more on Malaysia’s education system and ways to upgrade the

schools, the facilities, services, etc by increasing the level of teacher qualifications

together with appropriate allocations that will beneficial to all parties related. Other than

that, the Government also put much faith in a programme that specifically organized to

teach Malaysian, and that is; a campaign to target high achievers. Trust Schools will also

be introduced to facilitate public-private partnership in the management of selected

government schools. Alongside with this 10MP, the government also implemented other

policies under education field, which have also been appointed in this first part such as

the NKRA, 1 Student 1 Sport, and Upholding Bahasa Melayu and Strengthening English

Proficiency (MBMMBI).

ii. Raising the skills of the Malaysians to increase employability

a) Mainstreaming and broadening access to quality technical education and vocational

training

b) Enhancing the competency of tertiary graduates to prepare them for entering the

labour market

In order for Malaysia to achieve high-income nation status, the Government

emphasizes that it is necessary for to raise Malaysian skills in whatever working field

available to increase their employability. Things such as the TEVT (Technical Education

and Vocational Training) and upgrading tertiary education courses are also to be taken

into account. It is said that Germany is using the TEVT system, the skilling workforce of

Europe’s largest economy. Malaysia will try to implement the same system to increase

the value of fresh-graduates. As for the tertiary education, other than upgrading the

course curriculum, strengthening industry and research collaboration is one of the most

crucial parts in improving graduates’ competency.

iii. Reforming the labour market to transform Malaysia into high income nation

a) Making the labour market more flexible

b) Upgrading the skills and capabilities of Malaysia’s existing workforce

c) Enhancing Malaysia’s ability to attract and retain top talent

It is highly recommended that the efforts to review the legal and institutional

framework in labour industry to be taken. This is to provide flexibility in hiring and firing

the workforce. The abundance of cheap low-skilled labour has delayed investments in

many industrial sectors which have led to the reforming of unskilled foreign labour

policy. The Government, in this context has also aimed to encourage greater participation

in the untapped talent workforce such as housewives, retirees and disabled person.

Together with that, it is also wise to encourage cost sharing for training by expanding the

coverage of the Skills Development Fund in order to promote up skilling and retraining

of the workforce. This is due to the inability of some workers that don’t have enough

funds to pay for their own training, especially the school-leavers whom don’t have any

income yet.

Roles of the Policy in helping the Government to Face the New Challenges in Education

a) Driving improvements in students’ outcomes

- This is achieved by developing and enhancing the quality of the teachers by raising

the eligibility appointment to Diploma and Degree holders.

- Producing high quality students by providing better facilities (Trust Schools, High-

Performing Schools, conducive learning environment, etc) and access to excellent

teacher (guru cemerlang).

b) Help Malaysia to meet the industry requirements

- This will drive to the our improvements of productivity and enable Malaysia to move

up its value chain

- Skills training and development will be given a special emphasis on this matter to

ensure Malaysia develops the necessary human capital

c) Transform Malaysia from a middle income to a high income nation

- By upgrading the skills and capabilities of Malaysia’s existing workforce, Malaysia is

one step closer to achieve the high-income nation status and this can easily be done

by encouraging Malaysians that they, also can help their country to change for the

better

- Fostering the ‘competitive nature’ among Malaysians by encouraging them to raise

the standards to international level ever since they are still in school (As a saying

goes, ‘Strike the iron while it’s hot’)

B. The Standard Curriculum for Primary Schools (KSSR)

Overview

Ministry of Education Malaysia has introduced the standardised English Language Curriculum

for Primary Schools (Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah), which will be implemented phase

by phase starting this year. The new curriculum emphasises on holistic development of the

students which encompasses new elements such as grooming of creativity and innovation,

entrepreneurship, and integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Characteristics of Human Capital (Primary School)

At the end of the primary education stages, students should be able to master the basic skills for

everyday life such as:

i. Mastery of basic skills – reading, writing and calculating.

ii. Reasoning creative and innovative skills

iii. Wellness awareness (physical and mental)

iv. Believe in god, full of moral values

v. Self-esteem and patriotism

vi. Understand and appreciate the national culture

Curriculum Transformation

a) Design

b) Material

c) Organization

d) Content

e) Time allocation

f) Pedagogy

g) Assessment

h) Curriculum management

The concepts of curriculum transformation are based on Malaysian philosophy of education and

the principles of KBSR itself.

Curriculum Transformation Design

A. Communication – combine the relationship between verbal skills and non-verbal skills

during interaction.

B. Spiritual, attitudes and values – appreciation of religious, attitudes and values.

C. Humanism – mastery of knowledge and practice of community and local environment,

national and global, appreciation of patriotism and unity.

D. Personal skills – fostering leadership and personal development through curricular and

extracurricular activities of humanities.

E. Physical and aesthetics development – the development of physical and health well-being

and fostering imagination, creativity, talent and appreciation.

F. Mastery of Science and Technology – scientific knowledge, skills and scientific attitudes,

mastery of mathematical knowledge and skills, mastery of knowledge and Technology-

based skills.

Value – added Skills

i. Creative and innovative

ii. Entrepreneurship

iii. ICT

Standard – Based Curriculum

KSSR was enacted based on content standard and learning standard. Content standard is a

specific statement about what students should know and can do in school term which

encompasses knowledge, skills and values. Learning standard is a determination of the criteria

of indicators of quality of learning and achievement that can be measured for each of the content

standard.

Why it is standard?

1) To ensure that all students pass the given standards

2) To measure clearly the designation of knowledge, skills and values.

3) To identify the strategies that need to be improved (assessment for learning)

4) To overcome the problems of students dropout in learning.

5) To implement the school-based assessment.

Examples of Content Standard and Learning Standard

Content Standard

Bahasa Malaysia – students are able to listen, understand and respond correctly a command,

questions and messages.

English – students able to express personal response to literary texts.

Mathematics – students able to naming and determine the value of the numbers.

Learning Standard

Bahasa Malaysia – properly respond in orally to a variety of questions.

English – students able to respond book covers, pictures in books, characters with guidance.

Mathematics – able to name the numbers until 100, count the objects in the group, named for the

number of objects to represent the quantity.

Pedagogy

A. Thinking skills in teaching and learning

B. Application of the theory of multiple intelligences in teaching and learning.

C. Using of ICT in teaching and learning.

D. Future – based teaching

E. Constructivism – based learning

F. Contextual – based learning

G. Self – access learning

H. Mastery learning

I. Learn how to learn

Assessment of Learning and Teaching

i. Carried out continuously to track the progress and achievement of students in learning.

ii. Using a variety of assessment methods.

iii. Being authentic and holistic.


1) The curriculum is pupil-centred with an emphasis on fun learning, critical and creative

thinking, reasoning skills, communication and ICT literacy.

2) KSSR able to produce students which are highly motivated, creative and innovative.

3) Upon completing their primary education, students are able to made own decision

making without guidance.

C. Memartabatkan Bahasa Malaysia Memperkukuhkan Bahasa Inggeris (MBMMBI)

Objective

To explain government’s decision in approving Ministry of Education’s strategic

proposal to uphold Bahasa Malaysia and to strengthen the teaching and learning

of the English language.

Rationale

These are the rationales of implementing MBMMBI to replace PPSMI. The status of

implementation of PPSMI:

The command of Bahasa Malaysia among students as compared to English.

The achievement of students in Science and Mathematics according to types of school.

The achievement of students in PPSMI according to location.

The use of English by Science and Mathematics teachers in classrooms.

Definition of MBMMBI:

To uphold Bahasa Malaysia means to place the language in its rightful position as national

language as enshrined in Article 152 of the Federal Constitution. BM is also the main medium of

instruction based on the Education Act of 1996.

To strengthen the English language means to enhance the command of the language as a

compulsory language to be learned, the language of communication and knowledge at the

national and international levels.

MBMMBI

Based on these observations, the Ministry of Education will implement MBMMBI through these

strategies:

I. To uphold Bahasa Malaysia through:

The teaching and learning approach.

Bahasa Malaysia teachers of quality.

Widening the use of ICT in teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics in

National Schools (SK) and vernacular schools(SJKC) and National-type Tamil

school(SJKT).

II. To strengthen the English language through:

Increasing the number of hours for teaching and learning of English in SK,

Secondary Schools(SM), SJKC AND SJKT schools.

English language teachers of quality.

The teaching and learning approach.

Widening the functions of computers laboratories to language labs.

III. The abolition of PPSMI via the soft-landing approach.

Both subjects are tough bilingually with effect from 2010 at primary and

secondary schools.

The teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics will be carried out bilingually for year 4

in 2012, 2013 and 2014, year 5 in 2013, 2014 and 2015,year 6 in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Therefore, Science and Mathematics examination for UPSR will continue to be carried out

bilingually from 2016.


1. Produce Malaysians who are proficient in BM and English in all aspects of

communication be it in their daily conversation, when conducting official matters and

seeking knowledge, or in their respective careers.

2. Create model citizens who are able to access various fields of knowledge via multimedia

including the information and communication technology, as well as those who possess

critical, creative and innovative mindsets.

D. 1 Murid 1 Sukan (1M1S) – 1 Student 1 Sport

Introduction

This policy requires every student, from students of special needs to colleges and universities

students, to join at least one sport activity. This policy is established in support of the National

Education Policy that emphasises on the production of a balanced person intellectually,

spiritually, emotionally and physically. This policy is also in align with the National Sport Policy

that focuses on Sport for Everyone and Sport for Excellent. Its main attention is focusing on

inactive students so that they may get involve in sport activities. At the same time, talents of

potential students will be able to be shined and developed through High Performance School

Sport (SPTS).

Sport field is important in pushing the students’ physical capabilities to their optimum level as

how suggested by the saying “Healthy Mind Lies behind Healthy Body.” In this context, sport

field plays an important role in producing a healthy, active and productive individual that they

may contribute towards social welfare as well as national economic development. Therefore,

plethora of sport activities is introduced to attract students’ interest in practicing healthy and

active lifestyle.

Malaysia Ministry of Education (MOE) implements the 1M1S policy so that every student will

be able to experience the benefits of sport and in hope that a generation that inculcate sport

alongside with academic needs can be established.

Rationales

1. All sports programs are a part of educational transformation which is cultivated by MOE.

2. Sport should also be recognised, supported and encouraged just like other aspects such as

academic subjects and co-curriculum activities so that student of balanced mind and

physical can be produced.

3. This policy contributes toward the encouragement of healthy competition, goodwill,

mutual understanding, tolerance and improved moral and physical values that provide the

right path in integrating multi-ethnics groups into one united nation as well as nurturing

the patriotism.

4. This policy can provide the chance as a whole for the students to get involve in more

organised and well-planned sport as well as in balancing the focus or the emphasis in

producing a human capital holistically towards the establishment of highly competitive

Malaysian citizen.

Mission

In a long run, this policy is hoped to develop a human capital via whole student participation in

sport activities throughout the year and nurturing the sport culture among the school students in

order to be a nation that living a healthy lifestyles, healthy and highly competitive.

Concept

1M1S policy is a sport development program in school that require every student of Upper

Primary School to Form 6 Secondary school to join at least one sport activity that is organized

and systematically implemented. This policy is based on the basic principles of students’

physical development. Thus, this policy is established to bring forward the National Education

Philosophy to;

i. Provide students with access to receive the benefits from participating in sport

especially the less active or inactive students.

ii. Develop the school sport towards the multiplication of students’ involvement’s rate in

at least a sport.

iii. Provide the chance for all the talented and potential students to be polished to another

higher level.

Implementation Principles

The implementation of 1M1S policy should account for the following principles:

i. Every student including students of special needs that having no health problem

should be made compulsory to take part in at least one type of sport. The policy is

applied to Primary 4 to Primary 6 students and transition class to Form 6 Secondary

school students. Students of pre-school to primary 3 are encouraged to join the

program according to the school’s capability.

ii. Student is allowed to join in more than one sport depending on their capability and

offered sport or sport that is organized by other outside organisation with consent and

permission from the school.

iii. The establishment of the policy is based on the Physical Exercise subject in school.

All the sources of the PE lesson should also being used by 1M1S program.

iv. The main aspect is the active participation of every student in sport activities.

v. Participation in sport is the base of students’ intellectual, spiritual, physical and

emotional development.

Objectives

1M1S policy has put forward long and short term objectives as follow:

i. Improve the physical health

ii. Build the personality, self-esteem, discipline and positive values

iii. Encourage unity among races

iv. Build sport culture among students

v. Fulfill the students’ natural instinct to be physically active

vi. Provide equilibrium between the academic’s needs and physical needs; and

vii. Establish the path towards sport excellence.


i. It can help to establish an all-rounder student or individual that excel in academic and

as well as in sport field.

ii. It can help towards establishing students of healthy mind and body that contribute

toward healthier learning experience.

iii. It may encourage the students to pursue their study base on the sport prospect as the

effort to improve the national sport’s level that can match up with the sport’s levels of

other well-developed and modern countries.

E. National Key Result Area (NKRA)

The government focuses on 4 thrusts to widen access to quality and affordable education.

Pre-schools

Increase participation rate of pre-school (4+ and 5+) age children and improve the quality of the

system by making all government and private pre-schools part of the national education system.

Current enrolment rate stands at 67%. (72% enrolment across 4+ and 5+ cohorts by 2010)

Objective: Raising the bar

We have refined the sub NKRA target and increased our aspiration to expand enrolment

targets to include both 4 and 5 years old students and raise quality.

The lab has taken a holistic approach and identified 7 key thrusts to widen access to

affordable and quality pre-school education.

1. Establishing a National Committee as a single governing body will help coordinate

capacity build-up and higher quality in pre-school education.

Principles of National Pre- school Curriculum standard are;

Holistic development of children meaningful learning

Learning in fun way

Basic skills for life long learning

2. The National Pre-school Curriculum Standard is designed to ensure a holistic

development of children.

A single governance body across multiple agencies will ensure

– Coordinated build-up of pre-school class capacity

– Harmonised and increased quality standards and thus better outcomes

All agencies should be represented in the Committee to increase buy-in for new policies

3. Harmonising support for students across all government pre-school agencies will ensure

an equal starting point to deliver high quality.

All government pre-school providers will continue to receive the equivalent

level of support and equipment

4. A new excellence framework and training of teachers and teacher assistants will help to

improve and harmonise quality in the system.

Importance of quality

To enable high and consistent quality in pre-school education, quality

expectations need to be defined and codified clearly.

5. Currently there are about 325,000 children aged 5 and 6 years either not attending pre-

school at all or attending non-registered pre-schools.

In 2009, a total of 650 000 students have been enrolled in (registered) pre

schools. Based on the total population of 5-6 years old, 33% or about 325 000

children have not been attending pre-school.

Currently, plans for new classes could result in additional 200 000 students to

be enrolled in pre-school. This will bring up the enrolment rate in pre-schools to

the targeted 87% for 5-6 years old.

6. Increase private sector participation in pre-school education provision.

Start-up Grant

RM 10,000 one-off payment for all registered private schools opened in 2010 to 2012.

Rational: -Encourage new private pre-schools targeted at the lower income segment

-Ensure minimum quality standards are adhered to.

Student fees assistance

Assistance amounting to RM 150 per month per child to cover tuition fees for all 4+ and

5+ hardcore poor and poor students enrolling in private pre schools.

Rationale: -target needy families with pre school age children.

-Leverage private sector to expand enrolment.

7. Launch a national pre-school Information system.

1. Objectives of Literacy and Numeracy sub-NKRA

Every child* will be able to acquire basic literacy and numeracy skills after 3 years of

mainstream primary education by the end of 2012 *For the special needs students - defined

as students with learning disabilities, hearing impaired, speech impaired, visually impaired,

mentally retarded, multiple disabilities and physically disabled, a special literacy and

numeracy curriculum has been designed.

LINUS PROGRAMME

LINUS is an acronym for Literacy and Numeracy Screening

LINUS is a remedial programme designed to ensure students acquire basic literacy

(Bahasa Malaysia) and numeracy skills at the end of 3 years of primary education.

LINUS is targeted at students who have difficulties in 3Rs i.e. Reading, writing and

arithmetic.

Definition of Basic Literacy and Numeracy under LINUS programme

Basic Literacy

Ability to read, write and understand words, simple and complex sentences (using

conjunctions) in Bahasa Malaysia and apply such knowledge in learning and everyday

communication.

Basic Numeracy

Ability to solve basic mathematical operations, understand the idea of simple

mathematics and able to apply mathematical skills in everyday life.

2. Objectives of High Performing Schools sub-NKRA

Elevating the quality of the best schools

Raising the quality of the best performing education institutions through increasing the

level of autonomies and accountability, allowing them to innovate in how the school is

run (e.g. curriculum, staffing)

Producing excellent students

Creating a breeding ground for international calibre students, who move on to the best

institutions of higher learning, and graduate into ‘towering personalities’ in all fields of

work.

Raising the bar for other schools in the system

Painting a vision whereby other schools can aspire to be like these world-class Malaysian

schools, and providing them the right platform to make this journey through coaching and

networking between these schools

3. The objective of the ‘New Deal’ is to improve the overall quality of student

outcomes by improving performance of School Leaders in Malaysia

School leaders have a significant impact on student outcomes.

Instructional leadership

They play an active role in developing their teachers, and plan, coordinate and evaluate

teaching and learning activities in their schools.

Create a supportive, orderly environment

Ensures that the school environment is conducive for learning, by reducing external

pressures and interruptions and establishing an orderly and supportive environment both

inside and outside classrooms.

Primary change agents

Articulate a clear vision and mission, which is essential in aligning the whole school

towards ensuring that the desired student outcomes are achieved.

The Education NKRA under the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) has been

established to improve students’ performance in schools in addition to providing them with

access to better quality education. The initial step towards the progress in Malaysia’s education

system as mapped out by the NKRA is for educationists to willingly make sacrifices in order to

meet challenges in the nation’s education sector. Education Ministry deputy director-general

(education operations sector) said that teachers should be better than their students in all aspects.

For example, they should not think that after 30 years of teaching the English language that they

need not bother to learn how to use computers. The teaching method of today is vastly different

from that of the past. One of the way that teacher used to teach is using ICT. Teachers must be

prepared to change as the use of information and communication technology (ICT) helps them to

improve classroom teaching as children of today are well versed in the Internet. Teachers

especially those in secondary schools should be ahead of their students as children have

computers at home, apart from cyber cafés where Internet is also accessible.

Conclusion

In conclusion, government has considered and taken new approaches in its effort to

transform the country’s education into another level of advancement. By implementing the 10th

Malaysian Plan (10MP), the Government aims to make the teaching profession as a career option

for excellent candidates. Other than that, various allocations will be given by the Government in

order to upgrade the education system. The 10MP also focuses on nurturing a strong human

capital based on skills development and innovation capabilities. From that, we may conclude that

10MP is also aiming on producing more skilled workers from Malaysia itself. This will enable

Malaysia to compete with other developed countries around the world which can bring honour to

Malaysia. The transformation of the curriculum requires total commitment from all parties,

including policy makers, curriculum managers, parents and stakeholders. It is significant as it

involves the curriculum, approaches to teaching and learning as well as values. The government

is also seen taking a new approach in the teaching of Science, Mathematics, English and Bahasa

Malaysia. The government believes this can uphold Bahasa Malaysia, strengthen the command

of English and boost students’ capability in mastering Science and Mathematics which are vital

for the nations’ future. Besides, 1M1S policy is also another good effort from the government in

order to transform the national education to a better level. A good student of healthy mind and

body can be produced by encouraging the student to participate in sport activities. This may help

the student to have better and healthier lifestyle be it now or in the future. The education NKRA

under the government transformation programme (GTP), on the other hand, will make sure that

all the planning for education in Malaysia will be success and supporter from parents especially

are needed.

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Gov Policies