Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 Preliminary Report Executive Summary
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Foreword
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MALAYSIA EDUCATION BLUEPRINT
CHAPTER 1
CONTExT AND
INNOVA
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Education is a major contributor to the development of our social and economic capital. It inspires creativity and fosters innovation; provides our youth with the necessary skills to be able to compete in the modern labour market; and is a key driver of growth in the economy. And as this Government puts in place measures under the New Economic Model, Economic Transformation Plan and Government Transformation Plan to place Malaysia firmly on the path to development, we must ensure that our education system continues to progress in tandem. By doing so, our country will continue to keep pace in an increasingly competitive global economy.
ATION
Our education system has been the bedrock of our development. It has provided this generation and those before it with the skills and knowledge that have driven the country’s growth and, with it, our prosperity. At the centre of this are the thousands of dedicated teachers, principals, administrators, and officers and staff at the Ministry of Education, both past and present, whose contribution can never be overstated. In the 55 years since our independence, they have overseen a dramatic improvement to the quality and provision of education. And through their efforts we have, for example, achieved near-universal access at the primary and lower secondary levels, while global organisations such as UNESCO and World Bank have recognised and lauded Malaysia’s progress in education. But in order to meet our high aspirations amidst an increasingly competitive global environment, we cannot stand still. Our country requires a transformation of its entire education system, lifting achievement for all students. Make no mistake; this will require an entirely new perspective, so that students develop skills needed for the 21st century. Rather than simply adding staff and facilities, there is now a need to understand and improve the dynamics of the teaching and learning process. To this end, the Government has developed the Education Blueprint. It provides a comprehensive plan for a rapid and sustainable transformation of our education system through to 2025. And by building on the range of initiatives introduced as National Key Result Areas, it sets out the fundamental changes that we require. From how we approach student learning, the way we recruit, train and reward our teachers and principals right through to how the Ministry of Education itself operates, it lays out a process for that change. And in doing so, it lays out clear improvements on the factors that really matter, along every step of this journey.
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Foreword
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These targets are ambitious, but entirely achievable. They include: ensuring universal enrolment from pre-school to upper secondary education in 10 years; halving the achievement gaps between the rich and poor, urban and rural, and between the states that form Malaysia in 10 years; rising from the bottom-third to the top-third of countries in international assessments like PISA and TIMSS in 15 years; and building an education system that gives children an appreciation for our unique identity as Malaysians. And this will be achieved with due prudence and care for the resources allocated; every ringgit spent must be directed towards improving student outcomes. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to the Ministry of Education and all those who contributed towards the development of this Education Blueprint. I realize that transforming the education system will not be easy and that we are likely to encounter a number of challenges along the way. But despite this, rest assured that not only are the Government and Ministry of Education committed to delivering on these goals, I am also personally committed. And hand in hand with the rakyat, I have every confidence that we will persevere and deliver. From individual parents to members of the local community to the private sector, we all have a role to play and a personal stake in improving our education system. A role that will help sow the seeds of our children’s success. A role that we should all be proud to play. So God willing, let us take this exciting, challenging and – most importantly – this necessary journey together, as one nation.
Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak
Prime Minister of Malaysia
QUALITY
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This Government is committed to transforming Malaysia’s education system over the next oneand-a-half decades. Our goal, and the purpose of the education system, is to equip our students holistically to allow them to succeed in the 21st century, with all of the opportunities and challenges that this new era presents. In order to compete with the best in the world, our education system must develop young Malaysians who are knowledgeable, think critically and creatively, have leadership skills and are able to communicate with the rest of the world. Just as importantly, our students must be imbued with values, ethics and a sense of nationhood, enabling them to make the right choices for themselves, their families and the country with a view towards enduring and overcoming life’s inevitable challenges.
TY
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Foreword
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Delivering the shifts in achievement we seek will require building on the progress already realised across the system; spreading it more widely, particularly to those groups for whom the system is currently not performing; and supporting all students to achieve. The Ministry of Education will focus its resources on those levers that actually make a difference to what matters most: student outcomes. Our strategy is to focus on teaching and learning quality, access to reliable and meaningful information, transparent accountabilities and appropriate learning environments and infrastructure. The Ministry will ensure that all children entering school have already participated in early childhood education, regardless of socio-economic status. We will increase the number and diversity of preschools to make them broadly accessible, while raising the quality of early childhood education services across the board.
We will also further develop opportunities for religious, sports, arts, and other educational pathways. The inclusiveness of the system will also be improved, with additional opportunities and resources for gifted, special needs, indigenous and other minority groups, and other groups with specific needs. In order to deliver on these fundamental transformations, the Ministry of Education will play a key role in leading the education sector and working with education providers and stakeholders to lift student achievement. I applaud all of our Ministry personnel for their dedicated service, their hard work and their continuous efforts to improve the education and care of our students. Over the course of the Blueprint, we will update you regularly on this transformation journey. We will establish an Education Delivery Unit (EDU) within the ministry that will support this programme. We will also share progress through annual reports which will highlight successes and gaps, with remedial action plans for continuous improvements where needed. On behalf of the Ministry of Education, we commit to the vision of this Blueprint and to supporting its implementation to the best of our ability. For the sake of Malaysia’s children, we can do better, and we will do better.
Quality teaching is the most effective lever available to transform primary and secondary education and deliver improved outcomes for students. The Ministry will improve the quality of teaching in our schools, building on existing good practice, and rewarding highquality teaching with better career pathways that support teachers in the classroom. It will also revise the curriculum to embed and develop 21st Century Skills such as critical and creative thinking, as well as encourage holistic, well-rounded personal growth. Excellent professional leadership has the second-biggest effect on improving learning outcomes and so we are investing in strengthening school leadership from selection through to induction and in-role mentoring and support. The Ministry will also provide targeted, differentiated support to every school, tailored to individual school needs. For instance, while the Ministry will support improved school infrastructure to support student learning across the education system, Sabah and Sarawak will be prioritised for infrastructure upgrades. This will ensure that every school receives the level and type of support it needs. Schools that are already high-performing will also earn greater decision rights autonomy to support continuous improvements. Working with partners wherever necessary, we are focused on increasing opportunities for young Malaysians of all abilities, talents and interests. For instance, the vocational education pathway is being strengthened and expanded to provide students with the practical skills required to succeed in trades and other specialised occupations.
Tan Sri Dato’ Haji Muhyiddin bin Haji Mohd. Yassin
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education
STUDEN OUTC
The Ministry of Education Malaysia remains committed to fulfilling the potential of students in the Malaysian education system. Inter alia, emphasis will be given to provide better access and quality education to every student, and eventually contribute towards bringing meaningful differences in the lives of Malaysians. The Malaysia Education Blueprint (2013-2025) provides the long term policy direction to make these improvements. It establishes a clear sequence of priorities to ensure that the return on investments is optimised in terms of the results that matter most “student outcomes.”
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NT TCOMES
A key priority for this transformation is to ensure better alignment between policy formulation and implementation along the entire education value chain. Another priority is to improve resource productivity by strengthening the link between desired outcomes and the effective allocation of resources as well as efficient implementation and evaluation of relevant programmes and projects. Leadership, guidance and support from the Ministry, state education departments, district education offices as well as schools, will be critical to achieve these aspirations. Fulfilling these crucial roles will require a fundamental transformation in the Ministry’s organisational structure and operations, which needs to evolve into a more responsive, transparent and outcomes-focused organisation. The capacities and capabilities of personnel at the state and district levels will be enhanced. Greater autonomy and balanced accountability will also be provided to enable flexibility in delivering solutions tailored to the unique needs of students. This will also require constructive networking with key stakeholders across Government agencies, parents, community groups and the private sector. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the dedicated and hardworking Ministry personnel across Malaysia, many of whom perform their indispensable service of educating the nation’s children in varying conditions. Although many challenges still lie ahead, I am confident that by working together we can deliver our shared goal: a quality education system that equips all Malaysians with the knowledge, skills and values to be successful citizens in the 21st century.
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Foreword
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Dato’ Dr. Rosli bin Mohamed
Secretary-General Ministry of Education
INCLUSIV
Education is key for personal development and it provides a myriad of life opportunities. It also underpins the development of a highly skilled, innovative workforce as a critical enabling factor for social, cultural, and economic growth. The commitment and efforts we put into education are some of the most fundamental investments we can make towards securing the future wellbeing of Malaysians. Towards achieving this, various initiatives were undertaken to identify challenges and gaps related to the education system and find ways to address them. From these findings, the Ministry has come up with a Blueprint outlining strategies and initiatives for the enhancement of the National Education System.
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IVENESS
The Blueprint is the result of a multitude of analyses, interviews, surveys, and research conducted with the support of national and international education experts, officials, teachers, principals, and parents all across Malaysia. In addition, through the National Dialogue conducted earlier this year, almost 12,000 members of the public and various stakeholder groups were consulted for their ideas and feedback. In this Blueprint, we have set ourselves ambitious, yet achievable and feasible tasks to build a strong and efficient education system by 2025 that features universal access all the way through to secondary education, that will produce students who perform in the top third of international student assessments, to provide equal and quality educational opportunities for all students regardless of background or socioeconomic status and to instill a sense of common Malaysian identity amongst all students. These changes will necessitate the implementation of strategic support systems to engage students in the learning process. Our schools will be able to provide quality teaching, guidance, and support for our students. Placements of strong, school-based leaders will help to ensure schools comply with the high performance standards as prescribed by the Ministry of Education Malaysia. Furthermore, I am confident that with the cooperation from all internal and external stakeholders the implementation of this Blueprint will provide a sustainable and rapid transformation of Malaysia’s Education System.
Tan Sri Abd. Ghafar bin Mahmud
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Foreword
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Director-General Ministry of Education
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
CHAPTER 1
CONTEXT AND APPROACH
CHAPTER 2
VISION AND ASPIRATIONS
CHAPTER 3
CURRENT PERFORMANCE
CHAPTER 4
STUDENT LEARNING
CHAPTER 5
TEACHERS AND SCHOOL LEADERS
CHAPTER 6
MINISTRY TRANSFORMATION
CHAPTER 7
SYSTEM STRUCTURE
CHAPTER 8
DELIVERING THE ROADMAP APPENDICES
ExECUTIvE SUMMARy
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CHAPTER 3
ACCESS TO EDUCATION 3-1
▪
CHAPTER 1
BACKgROUND TO THE BlUEPRINT OBJECTIvES Of THE BlUEPRINT THE BlUEPRINT DEvElOPMENT APPROACH OvERvIEW Of THE BlUEPRINT 1-2 1-4 1-4 1-7
Near-universal access has been achieved at the primary and lower secondary levels
QUAlITy Of EDUCATION
3-5
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Student performance in national examinations is improving Malaysia’s performance in TIMSS Malaysia’s performance in PISA 2009+ TIMSS and PISA highlight that there are Good and Great schools in Malaysia worthy of study and replication National examinations and international assessments suggest variance in standards Student completion rates for one cohort Public perception of the quality of education outcomes is mixed Available data suggest that holistic development of students is occurring
CHAPTER 2
SySTEM ASPIRATIONS 2-1
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Access to Success Quality of a High International Standard Equity for All Students Fostering Unity among Students Delivering with Greater Efficiency
▪ ▪ ▪
EQUITy IN EDUCATION
3-17
▪
2-5
STUDENT ASPIRATIONS
Achievement gaps exist between and within states across Malaysia Achievement gap between rural and urban schools is narrowing over time Achievement gaps between National and National-type schools are narrowing over time The “Lost Boys” issue: the gender gap is widening Socio-economic status continues to have large impact on student performance Gap in student performance persists between private and public schools
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Knowledge Thinking Skills Leadership Skills Bilingual Proficiency Ethics and Spirituality National Identity
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
BUIlDINg UNITy THROUgH EDUCATION
3-21
▪ ▪ ▪
Range of schooling options creating ethnically homogeneous environments Teacher diversity in schools JNJK school inspections indicate a good level of unity
MAxIMISINg EffICIENCy
3-24
▪ ▪
Malaysia’s basic education expenditure is relatively high compared to peers on three different metrics MHigher spending has translated to better student outcomes in term of access, but not necessarily in term of quality
CHAPTER 4
CURRICUlUM AND ASSESSMENT 4-1
CHAPTER 5
TEACHERS 5-2
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
The written curriculum The taught curriculum The examined curriculum The Roadmap: Developing and applying 21st Century curriculum and assessment Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Improving the current curriculum and preparing for structural change Waves 2 (2016 to 2020) and 3 (2021 to 2025): Rolling out new and revised curriculum and assessments
lANgUAgE
4-7
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Assessing language proficiency in Malaysia The Roadmap: Creating language proficiency at scale Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Strengthening the current system Wave 2 (2016 to 2020): Introducing structural change Wave 3 (2021 to 2025): Scaling up structural change
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Demographics of the teaching force Quality of teaching Selection Pre-service training and ongoing professional development Placement Working conditions Remuneration and performance management The Roadmap: Transforming the teaching profession into a profession of choice Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Improving standards and support systems Wave 2 (2016 to 2020): Enhancing career pathways and progression Wave 3 (2021 to 2025): Creating a peer-led culture of professional excellence
SCHOOl lEADERS
5-12
gROUPS WITH SPECIfIC NEEDS
4-12
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Under-enrolled schools Indigenous and other minority groups Education for gifted children Special needs education
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Selection of principals Demographics of school leadership Training and professional development Current working conditions Career progression and performance management The Roadmap: Ensuring high-performing school leaders in every school Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Improving selection standards and support systems Wave 2 (2016 to 2020): Elevating the profession and moving towards distributed leadership Wave 3 (2021 to 2025): Creating a peer-led culture of professional excellence
ACCElERATINg SCHOOl IMPROvEMENT
4-18
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪
The Roadmap: Accelarating school improvement through states and districts Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Transforming state and district leadership Wave 2 (2016 to 2020): Increasing operational flexibility for JPNs, PPDs and schools Wave 3 (2021to 2025): Scaling up decision rights
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CHAPTER 6
THE DElIvERy SySTEM 6-1
CHAPTER 7
PHASES AND DURATION Of EDUCATION 7-1
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Assessment of the current position The Roadmap: Closing the implementation gap Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Redefining roles and strengthening JPNs and PPDs Wave 2 (2016 to 2020): Implementing wide-scale reorganisation of the Ministry Wave 3 (2021 to 2025): Reinforcing organisational strengths
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
6-10
Phases of education Preschool education The Roadmap: Matching high-performing education systems Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Expanding preschools rapidly, increasing enrolment in other phases of education Wave 2 (2016 to 2020): Consolidating benefits Wave 3 (2021 to 2025): Ensuring universal access
RESOURCE PRODUCTIvITy
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
EDUCATION PATHWAyS
7-7
The Roadmap: Maximising student outcomes for every Ringgit Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Quick wins in rationalisation Wave 2 (2016 to 2020): Effecting system-wide efficiency Wave 3 (2021 to 2025): Maintaining best practices
SCHOOl INfRASTRUCTURE
6-14
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Education pathways and career options The Roadmap: Creating multiple education pathways Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Strengthening vocational education Wave 2 (2016 to 2020): Scaling up initiatives Wave 3 (2021 to 2025): Ensuring education pathways for all
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
The Roadmap: Adopting a common standard for school infrastructure, adapted to local needs Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Ensuring a good standard of basic infrastructure for all schools Wave 2 (2015 to 2020): Equipping schools to support enhanced curriculum and pedagogical delivery Wave 3 (2021 to 2025): Defining infrastructure needs for the future
ENHANCEMENT Of UNITy IN SCHOOlS
7-15
ICT fOR EDUCATION
6-20
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Current system structure to be maintained Ethnic homogeneity in the education system Civics elements in education Vision Schools RIMUP: integration through co-curricular activity The Roadmap: Improving interaction and integration across all schooling options Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Establishing foundations Wave 2 (2016 to 2020):Scaling interventions to foster unity Wave 3 (2021 to 2025): Reviewing schooling options and system structure
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
The Roadmap: Leveraging ICT for learning Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Enhancing the foundation Wave 2 (2015 to 2020): Introducing ICT innovations Wave 3 (2021 to 2025): Maintaining innovative, system-wide usage
lEARNINg SySTEM: PARENTS, COMMUNITy, AND PRIvATE SECTOR
7-18
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Current levels of parental and community engagement in education The Roadmap: Moving towards a learning system Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Supporting engagement with parents and private sector Wave 2 (2016 to 2020): Deepening engagement Wave 3 (2021 to 2025): Encouraging greater private-sector innovations
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Table of Contents
1-6
CHAPTER 8
SEQUENCINg THE TRANSfORMATION 8-3
glOSSARy
g-1
▪ ▪ ▪
Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Turn around system by supporting teachers and focusing on core skills Wave 2 (2016 to 2020): Accelerate system improvement Wave 3 (2021 to 2025): Move towards excellence with increased operational flexibility 8-9
APPENDIx I: A BRIEf HISTORy Of EDUCATION IN MAlAySIA APPENDIx II.
A-1
DElIvERINg DIffERENTly
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Strengthening leadership commitment and capabilities in the Ministry Establishing a small, high-powered delivery unit to drive Blueprint delivery Intensifying internal and external performance management Engaging Ministry officials and other stakeholders
METHODOlOgy
A-5
APPENDIx III:
NATIONAl DIAlOgUE fEEDBACK
A-13
APPENDIx Iv:
8-11
THE UNIvERSAl SCAlE gETTINg STARTED
A-20
▪ ▪
The run-up to the Final Blueprint Early changes and results
APPENDIx v:
SAMPlE QUESTIONS fROM PISA
A-22
APPENDIx vI:
THE EDUCATION ROADMAP
A-34
APPENDIx vII:
gTP 2.0 EDUCATION INITIATIvES
A-37
executive
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executive summary
In October 2011, the Ministry of Education launched a comprehensive review of the education system in Malaysia in order to develop a new National Education Blueprint. This decision was made in the context of rising international education standards, the Government’s aspiration of better preparing Malaysia’s children for the needs of the 21st century, and increased public and parental expectations of education policy. Over the course of 11 months, the Ministry drew on many sources of input, from education experts at UNESCO, World Bank, OECD, and six local universities, to principals, teachers, parents, and students from every state in Malaysia. The result is a preliminary Blueprint that evaluates the performance of Malaysia’s education system against historical starting points and international benchmarks. The Blueprint also offers a vision of the education system and students that Malaysia both needs and deserves, and suggests 11 strategic and operational shifts that would be required to achieve that vision. The Ministry hopes that this effort will inform the national discussion on how to fundamentally transform Malaysia’s education system, and will seek feedback from across the community on this preliminary effort before finalising the Blueprint in December 2012.
Education plays a central role in any country’s pursuit of economic growth and national development. There is no better predictor of a nation’s future than what is currently happening in its classrooms. In today’s global economy, a nation’s success depends fundamentally on the knowledge, skills and competencies of its people. It is no surprise that nations with higher education levels tend to enjoy greater economic prosperity. Education is also fundamental to nation building and unity. It provides individuals with the opportunity to improve their lives, become successful members of the community and active contributors to national development. Through interacting with individuals from a range of socio-economic, religious and ethnic backgrounds – and learning to understand, accept and embrace differences – a shared set of experiences and aspirations for Malaysia’s future can be built. It is through these shared experiences and aspirations that a common national identity and unity is fostered. In recent years, the Malaysian education system has come under increased public scrutiny and debate, as parents’ expectations rise and employers voice their concern regarding the system’s ability to adequately prepare young Malaysians for the challenges of the 21st century. Given the nature of the education system, it will take several years for fundamental changes to be felt. This makes the need for ambitious actions now both important and urgent.
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Executive Summary
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Objectives and apprOach Of the review
This preliminary Education Blueprint (“Blueprint”) is the result of extensive research and public engagement carried out by the Ministry of Education (“Ministry”). The Blueprint was developed with three specific objectives:
1.
Understanding the current performance and challenges of the Malaysian education system, with a focus on improving access to education, raising standards (quality), closing achievement gaps (equity), promoting unity amongst students, and maximising system efficiency; Establishing a clear vision and aspirations for individual students and the education system as a whole over the next 13 years; and
The approach to this Blueprint was ground-breaking in many ways. Multiple perspectives were gathered from various experts and international agencies to evaluate and assess the performance of Malaysia’s education system. This includes the World Bank, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and six local universities. The Ministry also worked with other government agencies to ensure alignment with other public policies related to education. For example, the Ministry has worked closely with the Performance Management and Delivery Unity (PEMANDU) to develop the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) 2.0 initiatives on education so they reflect the priority reforms in the Blueprint from 2013 to 2015.
2. 3.
Furthermore, the Ministry engaged with the rakyat on a scale never seen before. Over the course of a year, over 50,000 Ministry officials, teachers, principals, parents, students, and members of the public across Malaysia, were engaged via interviews, focus groups, surveys, National Dialogue townhalls, and roundtable discussions. The Ministry Outlining a comprehensive transformation programme also appointed a 12-member Malaysian panel of experts, and a for the system, including key changes to the Ministry 4-member international panel of experts to provide independent input which will allow it to meet new demands and rising into the review findings. expectations, and to ignite and support overall civil service transformation.
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significant and sustained investments in educatiOn
The support and resources that a system provides to schools play a critical role in how schools perform as they enable teachers and principals to focus on their core business of delivering effective teaching and learning. A country’s investment in its education system is therefore an important measure of its commitment. The Malaysian Government has sustained high levels of investment in education over the 55 years since independence. As early as 1980, the Malaysian federal government’s spending on primary and secondary education, as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), was the highest in East Asia. In 2011, the amount spent, at 3.8% of GDP or 16% of total government spending, was not only higher than the OECD average of 3.4% of GDP and 8.7% of total public spending respectively, but also at par with or more than top-performing systems like Singapore, Japan, and South Korea (Exhibit 1). In 2012, with an education budget of RM37 billion, the Government has continued to devote the largest proportion of its budget, 16% to the Ministry. This demonstrates the very real commitment the Government has to education as a national priority.
dramatic prOgress On imprOving access tO educatiOn
The education system has made tremendous progress since 1957. At the time of Independence, over half the population had no formal schooling, while only 6% of Malaysian children had been educated to secondary level, and a paltry 1% to the post-secondary level. Five and a half decades later, access to education has been transformed beyond recognition. In 2011, Malaysia had achieved near universal enrolment at the primary level at 94%, and the percentage of students who dropped out of primary school had been significantly reduced (from 3% in 1989 to just 0.2% in 2011). Enrolment rates at the lower secondary level (Form 1 to 3) had risen to 87%. The greatest improvement was undoubtedly at upper secondary level (Form 4 to 5), where enrolment rates had almost doubled, from 45% in the 1980s, to 78% in 2011. These enrolment rates are even higher once enrolment in private schools is factored in: 96% at primary, 91% at lower secondary, and 82% at upper secondary level. These rates are higher than most developing countries, although they are still lower than that of high-performing education systems like Singapore and South Korea. In parallel, there has been rapid expansion in preschool education. Around 77% of students are now enrolled in some form of preschool education (either public or private), and the target is for universal enrolment through the Education National Key Results Area (NKRA) in the GTP. The significant improvement in access to education is echoed by a similar improvement in attainment. Youth literacy has risen from 88% in 1980 to near-universal literacy of 99% today, while adult literacy has increased even more dramatically, from less than 70% to over 92% in the same time frame. Further, the proportion of the adult population (aged 15+) with no schooling has declined, from 60% in 1950 to less than 10% in 2010, while the proportion (aged 15+) that has completed secondary education has risen from around 7% in 1950 to almost 75% over the same time period (Exhibit 2). These are achievements of which Malaysia can be proud.
EXHIBIT 1
Basic education expenditure1 as a percentage of total government expenditure for Malaysia and peers2 Percent (2008)
EXHIBIT 2
Highest educational attainment of population aged 15 and above (1950-2010) Percent of population
18 16 14 12 12
Tertiary
Secondary
Primary
No Schooling
6
11 11 9 7
OECD average 8.7%
1
7
1
2 10
2 13
2
2
3
6
8
19
9
10
13
24
15
33
31 39 39 51 56 59 61
35
38
41
43
41
38 33 39 26 22
12 2000
Thailand3 Malaysia3
Mexico
Chile
Hong Kong3
Korea
Singapore3 Indonesia3
Japan
60
56
50
44
37
32
28 1980
18
10 2005
1 Includes operating expenditure and capital/development expenditure for basic education (primary and secondary) 2 Peers based on the following categorisation: Asian Tigers (Hong Kong, Singapore, S. Korea, Japan); SEA neighbours (Indonesia, Thailand Singapore), and comparable GDP per capita (Mexico and Chile) 3 Data for 2010 Note: Data from 2008 or 2010 depending on latest available data SOURCE: Ministry of Education Malaysia; OECD – Education at a Glance 2011; Singstat; Ministry of Finance Thailand; Ministry of Finance Indonesia; Education Bureau of Hong Kong.
21 1985
15
9 2010
15 1990
13 1995
1950
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
SOURCE: Barro and Lee, 2010 (Eurostat, UN)
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Executive Summary
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system remains cOmmitted tO develOping students hOlistically
The Malaysian school curriculum is committed to developing the child holistically along intellectual, spiritual, emotional, and physical dimensions, as reflected in the National Education Philosophy. Programmes and initiatives to develop non-academic components are present both during formal class time as well as through a variety of after-school co-curricular activities. For example, Islamic Education or Moral Education is compulsory for all students from Year 1 through to Form 5. The Ministry also has a requirement that every student participate in at least 1 sport, 1 club, and 1 uniformed body activity as a means of fostering individual talents and interests, along with building leadership skills. Available data suggests that student enrolment in such co-curricular activities is high.
student cOgnitive perfOrmance against internatiOnal standards
A fundamental objective of any education system is to ensure that its students are being equipped with the knowledge and skills required for success in life. Historically, the Malaysian education system, like others around the world, has emphasised the development of strong content knowledge in subjects such as science, mathematics, and language. There is, however, increasing global recognition that it is no longer enough for a student to leave school with the 3 Rs (Reading, wRiting & aRithmetic). The emphasis is no longer just on the importance of knowledge, but also on developing higher-order thinking skills. While Malaysian student performance has improved over several decades, those remarkable gains may be at risk in both relative and absolute terms. Firstly, other systems are improving student performance more rapidly, and have found ways to sustain that momentum. The gap between Malaysia’s system and these others is therefore growing. Secondly, international assessments suggest that Malaysian student performance is declining in absolute terms. Over the past two decades, international student assessments, such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), have emerged as a means of directly comparing the quality of educational outcomes across different systems. These assess a variety of cognitive skills such as application and reasoning. When Malaysia first participated in TIMSS in 1999, its average student score was higher than the international average in both Mathematics and Science. By 2007, the last published cycle of results, the system’s performance had slipped to below the international average in both Mathematics and Science with a commensurate drop in ranking. Critically, 18% and 20% of Malaysia’s students failed to meet the minimum proficiency levels in Mathematics and Science in 2007, a two to fourfold increase from 7% and 5% respectively in 2003. These students were identified as possessing only limited mastery of basic mathematical and scientific concepts. The results from PISA 2009+ (the first time Malaysia participated in this assessment) were also discouraging, with Malaysia ranking in the bottom third of 74 participating countries, below the international and OECD average (Exhibit 3). Almost 60% of the 15-year-old Malaysian students who participated in PISA failed to meet the minimum proficiency level in Mathematics, while 44% and 43% did not meet the minimum proficiency levels in Reading and Science respectively. A difference of 38 points on the PISA scale is equivalent to one year of schooling. A comparison of scores shows that 15-year-olds in Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Shanghai are performing as though they have had 3 or more years of schooling than 15-year-olds in Malaysia.
the National education Philosophy
The National Education Philosophy for Malaysia, written in 1988 and revised in 1996, enshrines the Ministry’s and Government’s vision of education as a means for the holistic development of all children: intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
“Education in Malaysia is an ongoing effort towards further developing the potential of individuals in a holistic and integrated manner, so as to produce individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, and physically balanced and harmonious, based on a firm belief in and devotion to God. Such an effort is designed to produce Malaysian citizens who are knowledgeable and competent, who possess high moral standards, and who are responsible and capable of achieving high levels of personal well-being as well as being able to contribute to the harmony and betterment of the family, the society, and the nation at large.”
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timss and Pisa international assessments timss is an international assessment based on the Mathematics and Science curricula of schools around the world. It assesses students in Grades 4 (the Malaysian equivalent is Year 4) and 8 (the Malaysian equivalent is Form 2) along two aspects: content such as algebra and geometry, and cognitive skills, namely the thinking processes of knowing, applying, and reasoning. The test was first administered in 1995. Today, over 59 countries participate in the assessment which is conducted every four years. Malaysia has participated in TIMSS since 1999, although only with Form 2 students. Pisa, coordinated by the OECD, is another widely recognised international assessment. Conducted every three years, PISA aims to evaluate proficiency in Reading, Mathematics, and Science in students aged 15 years old. Its focus is not on curriculum content, but on students’ ability to apply their knowledge in real-world settings. Participant countries extend beyond OECD members, with 74 countries taking part in the most recent assessment in 2009. Malaysia participated for the first time in 2010, as part of the 2009 PISA assessment cycle.
EXHIBIT 3
comparison of malaysia’s pisa 2009+ ranking against other countries
Regional peers
1 Reading Rank 1 2 3 4 5 18 19 42 43 53 Country Shanghai-China Korea Finland Hong Kong Singapore United Kingdom OECD Average Germany Mean score 556 539 536 533 526 494 497 459 449 421
2 Mathematics Rank 1 2 3 4 5 20 21 41 42 52 Country Shanghai-China Singapore Hong Kong Korea Taiwan Austria OECD Average Slovak Republic Croatia International Average Israel Mean score 600 562 555 546 543 496 497 460 447 419
3 Science Rank 1 2 3 4 5 20 21 40 41 51 Country Shanghai-China Finland Hong Kong Singapore Japan Ireland OECD Average Czech Republic Mean score 575 554 549 542 539 508 500 470 461 425
Russian Fed. International Average Chile Thailand
… … …
… …
Greece International Average Malta Thailand
… …
…
Thailand
… …
… …
55
62
MALAYSIA
Indonesia
414
402
57
68
MALAYSIA
Indonesia
404
371
52
66
MALAYSIA
Indonesia
422
383
Note: Countries are ranked in descending order of the percentage of top performers (Level 5 or 6) SOURCE: PISA 2009+
…
…
…
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Executive Summary
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excellent examples exist acrOss the system
While the most recent TIMSS and PISA results are a cause for concern, there are still numerous instances of students and schools across Malaysia that are performing on a level comparable to international standards, in terms of both academic and non-academic measures. Exhibit 4 offers a snapshot of some of these achievements. The Ministry also has awarded 66 schools with the designation of being a High Performing School (HPS). These are the best schools in Malaysia that have a distinctive character, consistently produce excellent academic and non-academic student outcomes, and are capable of competing internationally.
The system also has examples of schools, districts, and states that are improving at an unprecedented pace. For example, five years ago, Johor was one of the bottom five states in its performance on the Year 6 Primary School Education Test or Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) national examination. The state launched a comprehensive school improvement programme and was able to turn its performance around in just five years. Johor is now in the top third of all states in terms of student performance. Similarly, there are remote schools, like SK Ulu Lubai in Sarawak and SK Bakalalan in Sabah, both of which support low-income communities, that have swept Commonwealth Good Practice Awards for their impressive turnaround efforts. This suggests that there are opportunities to learn from these examples, and scale up good practices to the rest of the system.
EXHIBIT 4
examples of malaysian students’ international achievements
Jul 2012 8th International Exhibition for Young Inventors, Thailand Genius Olympiad 2012 International High School Project Fair on Environment, New York 2nd International Folk Song and Dance Festival, Georgia 5th Asian Schools Badminton Championship, Hong Kong Jun 2012 The Invention and New Product Exposition, USA The Malaysian team won a gold medal for their invention. Two 14-year old students bagged third prize in the competition. The Malaysian team of 15 performers won the Gold and Silver Diploma prizes. The Malaysian team of 16 players won 3 gold medals and 4 silver and bronze medals respectively. The Malaysian team won a gold model in the category of education inventions The Malaysian team of 200 athletes bagged a total of 100 medals, claiming the third spot overall A 17-year-old emerged as the first Malaysian champion.
4th ASEAN School Games, Indonesia May 2012 Oct 2011 Jul 2011 English Speaking Union International Public Speaking Competition, London ASEAN Primary School Sports Olympiad, Indonesia 52nd International Mathematical Olympiad, Netherlands 42nd International Physics Olympiad, Thailand Dec 2010 Nov 2009 International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS)1 World Robot Olympiad (WRO), South Korea
Team of 36 clinched second place overall, winning a total of 6 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze medals. Stellar performance by a Form 4 student who clinched the first gold medal for Malaysia. Another four students attained commendable results. A Malaysian student attained a gold medal and special prize awarded by the European Physics Society. 68 Malaysian students achieved a total of 94 gold medals and were commended as being of world-class standard. Malaysia was the overall champion, a second win in two consecutive years.
1 Australian-based independent diagnostic assessments conducted annually SOURCE: Educational Policy, Planning and Research Division, Sports Division
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challenges remain in achieving equitable student OutcOmes
An equally important objective for the system is to ensure that student outcomes are equitable. Unfortunately, to date, the outcomes have been uneven. States with a higher proportion of rural schools, like Sabah and Sarawak, on average, perform poorer than states with less rural schools. In the UPSR examinations, the gap between urban and rural schools is 4 percentage points in favour of urban schools. By the Malaysian Certificate of Education or Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), the gap has grown to 8 percentage points. Both these gaps, however, have reduced by 5 and 2 percentage points respectively over the past six years. The achievement gap between National and National-type primary schools is also closing. The difference between National schools or Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) and National-type Chinese schools or Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Cina) (SJK(C)s) is insignificant. Over the past 5 years, National-type Tamil schools or Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Tamil) (SJK(T)s) have more than halved the gap between themselves and both SJK(C)s and SKs, and are now less than 4 percentage points behind. In contrast, the gender gap is both significant and increasing, having widened over the last five years. Girls consistently outperform boys at every level; the gap in performance is already evident at UPSR level and increases over a student’s lifetime up to university level, where females comprise approximately 70% of the cohort. While this phenomenon is not unique to Malaysia, it does require attention to ensure that the country does not have a cohort of “lost boys” who either leave school early or with low attainment levels. EXHIBIT 5
Distribution of student population receiving KWAPM1 by school band
Percent of schools (2011)
Finally, the largest equity gaps remain socio-economic in origin. This has been observed using three proxies: parents’ highest level of educational attainment, states’ average household income, and the percentage of students receiving basic financial assistance under the Poor Students’ Trust Fund, or Kumpulan Wang Amanah Pelajar Miskin (KWAPM). For all three proxies, the evidence consistently demonstrates that students from poor families are less likely to perform as well as students from middle-income or high-income homes. As Exhibit 5 illustrates, only 7% of Band 1 and 2 schools have student populations where more than a third receive KWAPM, as compared to 69% of under-performing Band 6 and 7 schools.
range Of schOOling OptiOns are creating ethnicallyhOmOgeneOus envirOnments
With many public and private schooling options at the primary and secondary levels, the Malaysian education system provides an unparalleled degree of choice for parents. Concern has grown over the increasing ethnic homogenisation of schools, and the reduced opportunities for interaction with individuals from wide a range of backgrounds that homogenisation may lead to. These interactions are important as they help individuals develop a shared set of experiences and aspirations for Malaysia’s future, through which a common national identity and unity are forged. The best available data shows that more Indian and Chinese students enrolled in National-type primary schools in 2011, in comparison to enrolment 10 years ago. The proportion of Chinese students enrolled in SJK(C)s increased from 92% in 2000 to 96% in 2011. The shift for Indian students was even more dramatic, showing an increase from 47% to 56% enrolment in SJK(T)s. As such, 90% of students in SKs are now ethnically Bumiputera. At the secondary level, the presence of a single secondary school format, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK), does create convergence. Nevertheless, there are still students who receive limited exposure to diversity, such as a child who transfers from a SJK(C) to an Independent Chinese school, or one who moves from an SK to a religious secondary school. To achieve unity, it is imperative for students to interact with and learn from fellow students and teachers of every ethnicity, religion, culture, and socio-economic background. The Ministry has programmes like the Student Integration Plan for Unity, or Rancangan Integrasi Murid Untuk Perpaduan (RIMUP) which fosters interaction across different school types through co-curricular activities. A review by the Schools Inspectorate and Quality Assurance or Jemaah Nazir dan Jaminan Kualiti (JNJK) found that where RIMUP was run, there was good evidence of inter-ethnic mixing both inside and outside the classroom. However, funding for RIMUP has dropped significantly, reducing the frequency and intensity of these programmes.
100% = 2,296
3,858
42
31
56 75 17
Schools with 2/3 students receiving KWAPM
25 18
52
7
Good schools, Band 1&2
19
Average schools, Band 3,4,5 Poor schools, Band 6&7
1 Only primary schools were included, with the exception of 1,060 schools in Sabah and 418 schools in other states due to incomplete data SOURCE: Finance Division; National Key Result Area; EMIS database
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Executive Summary
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return On investment is nOt as high as desired
Malaysia’s consistently high levels of expenditure on education have resulted in almost universal access to primary education, and significant improvements in access to secondary education. However, there remains room for improvement on the dimensions of quality, equity, and unity. Exhibit 6 compares the performance of different countries in international assessments with their education spending per student. The difference between each performance band (Poor, Fair, Good,
Great, and Excellent) represents the equivalent of one year of schooling. Data as of 2010 indicates that Malaysia’s performance lags behind other countries that have similar or lower levels of expenditure per student, such as Thailand, Chile, and Armenia. This suggests that the system may not be allocating funds towards the factors that have the highest impact on student outcomes, such as the training and continuous upskilling of teachers. High-performing systems like Singapore, South Korea, and Shanghai, however, do spend more per student than Malaysia. The education system is also about to embark on a major transformation effort. Consequently, Malaysia’s expenditure levels should be maintained but the efficiency and effectiveness of how funds are allocated and spent should be reviewed.
EXHIBIT 6
country performance in international assessments relative to public per student spend per student
Universal scale score1 2009 (max, median, min)
580 560 540 520 500 480 460 440 420 400 380 360 340 320 0 0–1,000 1,000– 2,000 2,000– 3,000 3000– 4,000 4,000– 5,000 5,000– 6,000 6,000– 7,000 7,000– 8,000 8,000– 9,000 9,000– 10,000 10,000+
Kyrgyzstan Slovak Republic Chinese Taipei Shanghai
578
Singapore Korea, Rep. Australia Estonia Czech Republic
544
Hong Kong
547 531
Japan Germany France Spain Ontario Canada Slovenia Italy
Excellent 545 530
Finland UK Iceland Ireland Cyprus
New Zealand Macao SAR, China Portugal
489
Armenia
478
Turkey Thailand Mauritius Moldova Kazakhstan Colombia Tunisia Panama
Lithuania Russia
Poland Hungary Latvia Croatia Greece
486
464
Belg.Flanders Netherlands Switzerland Norway Denmark USA Sweden Austria Belg. CFB Luxembourg
531
Great
Good
483 Fair
Syria Uruguay Algeria Philippines W. Cape El Savador Jordan Azerbaijan Ghana Indonesia Georgia Morocco
455
Iran Chile Romania Mexico Malaysia2 Argentina
441
Bahrain Serbia Bulgaria
Israel Oman Saudi Arabia
Malta
458
458
422
Kuwait
Botswana
412
397
402 Poor
370
327
Public spend per student2, PPP units
1 Universal scale based on Hanushek & Woessmann methodology, to enable comparison across systems. 2 Public spend per student for basic education (pre-school, primary, and secondary school levels) for 2008 current prices Note: Malaysia 2008 public spend is US$3000 SOURCE: World Bank EdStats; IMF; UNESCO; PISA 2009+, TIMSS 2007; PIRLS 2006; Global Insight; McKinsey & Company
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▪ Efficiency: The Malaysian education system has always been well-funded, yet improvements in student outcomes have not always matched the resources channelled into the system. While the Government will maintain current levels of investment, the aspiration is to further maximise student outcomes within the current budget levels. In order to properly address the needs of all Malaysians, and to prepare the nation to perform at an international level, it is important to first envision what a highly-successful education system must accomplish, EXHIBIT 7 particularly in the Malaysian context. What kinds of students are best-prepared to meet the challenges of a 21st century economy? What Five system aspirations for the Malaysian education system kind of education prepares them for this rapidly globalising world? These aspirations comprise two aspects: firstly, those for the education system as a whole, and secondly, those for individual students. This 100% enrolment across all levels vision, and these aspirations, will set the stage for the transformation from pre-school to upper secondary by 2020 of the Malaysian education system.
aspiratiOns fOr the malaysian educatiOn system and malaysian students
Access Quality Equity Unity
system aspirations
There are five outcomes that this Blueprint aspires to for the Malaysian education system as a whole: access, quality, equity, unity, and efficiency (Exhibit 7). These outcomes are in line with the aspirations articulated by participants during the National Dialogue, and are comparable to outcomes set by other high-performing education systems. Action across all five areas is important, and no initiative in one area should detract from or undermine progress in another. ▪ Access: Every child in Malaysia deserves equal access to an education that will enable that child to achieve his or her potential. The Ministry thus aspires to ensure universal access and full enrolment of all children from preschool through to upper secondary school level (Form 5) by 2020. ▪ Quality: All children will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education that is uniquely Malaysian and comparable to the best international systems. The aspiration is for Malaysia to be in the top third of countries in terms of performance in international assessments, as measured by outcomes in TIMSS and PISA, within 15 years. (TIMSS and PISA currently test for literacy, Mathematics, and Science only. Additional assessments that address other dimensions of quality that are relevant to the Malaysian context may be included as they are developed and become accepted international standards). ▪ Equity: Top-performing school systems deliver the best possible education for every child, regardless of geography, gender, or socioeconomic background. The Ministry aspires to halve the current urban-rural, socio-economic, and gender achievement gaps by 2020. ▪ Unity: As students spend over a quarter of their time in school from the ages of 7 t0 17, schools are in a key position to foster unity. Through interacting with individuals from a range of socioeconomic, religious, and ethnic backgrounds—and learning to understand, accept and embrace differences—a shared set of experiences and aspirations for Malaysia’s future can be built. The Ministry aspires to create a system where students have opportunities to build these shared experiences and aspirations that form the foundation for unity.
Top third of countries in international assessments such as PISA and TIMSS in 15 years 50% reduction in achievement gaps (urban-rural, socioeconomic and gender) by 2020 An education system that gives children shared values and experiences by embracing diversity
Efficiency
A system which maximises student outcomes within current budget
student aspirations
Beyond these system-wide outcomes, stakeholders were also very clear on what “quality” should be at the individual level. In a nutshell, educators, parents, students, and other members of the public were united in a vision of education as a vehicle for the holistic development of children–intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. This is the same vision that has underscored all education improvement efforts since the National Education Philosophy for Malaysia was written in 1988. Looking ahead, the Blueprint will continue to use the National Education Philosophy’s vision of a balanced education as its foundation for individual student aspirations. It has also drawn on learnings from other high-performing systems to develop a refined articulation of the specific skills and attributes that students would need to thrive in tomorrow’s economy and globalised world (Exhibit 8): ▪ Knowledge: At the most basic level, every child will be fully literate and numerate. Beyond this, it is important that students master core subjects such as Mathematics and Science, and are informed with a rounded general knowledge of Malaysia, Asia, and the world—their histories, people, and geography. Students will also be encouraged to develop their knowledge and skills in other areas such as the arts, music, and sports.
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Executive Summary
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▪ Thinking skills: Every child will learn how to continue acquiring knowledge throughout their lives (instilling a love for inquiry and lifelong learning), to be able to connect different pieces of knowledge, and, most importantly in a knowledge-based economy, to create new knowledge. Every child will master a range of important cognitive skills, including problem-solving, reasoning,
conflicts peacefully, to employ sound judgement and principles during critical moments, and to have the courage to do what is right. The education system also seeks to nurture caring individuals who gainfully contribute to the betterment of the community and nation. ▪ National identity: An unshakeable sense of national identity, tied to the principles of the Rukunegara, is necessary for Malaysia’s success and future. Every child will proudly identify as Malaysian, irrespective of ethnicity, religion or socio-economic status. Achieving this patriotism requires that every child understands the country’s history, and share common aspirations for the future. Establishing a true national identity also requires a strong sense of inclusiveness. This can be achieved through not only learning to understand and accept diversity, but to embrace it.
EXHIBIT 8
Six key attributes needed by every student to be globally competitive Every student will have …
L Thinking skills K nowledge
eadership skills
B ilingual proficiency E thics and spirituality
eleven shifts tO transfOrm the system
Over the course of the past year, the Ministry has sought input from a broad range of stakeholders, from educationists and academics to parents and students, on what would be required to deliver on the aspirations identified above. Given the volume of input, there was a surprisingly high degree of consensus on some topics such as the importance of raising the quality of teachers. There were also topics, such as the future of language education, where there were mixed responses. The Ministry reviewed these suggestions carefully, and integrated them into the Blueprint based on four criteria. Firstly, any action undertaken had to contribute to the system and student aspirations described above. This meant that initiatives that delivered one outcome at the expense of another, or that would lead to a different aspiration, were deprioritised. Secondly, the Ministry drew on international evidence to identify and prioritise the factors that would make the most difference in system and student improvement. Thirdly, the proposals had to be relevant to the system’s starting point and be within the Ministry’s ability to deliver. Initiatives were thus sequenced to evolve in complexity as the capabilities and capacity of the Ministry officers, teachers, and school leaders were developed. Fourthly, the benefits of implementing the proposal had to outweigh the financial and operational downsides.
National identity
… aligned with the National Education Philosophy
creative thinking, and innovation. This is an area where the system has historically fallen short, with students being less able than they should be in applying knowledge and thinking critically outside familiar academic contexts. ▪ Leadership skills: In our increasingly inter-connected world, being able to lead and work effectively with others is critical. The education system will help every student reach his or her full potential by creating formal and informal opportunities for students to work in teams, and to take on leadership roles. In the context of the education system, leadership encompasses four dimensions: entrepreneurship, resilience, emotional intelligence, and strong communication skills.
The Ministry has identified 11 shifts that will need to occur to deliver the step change in outcomes envisioned by all Malaysians. Each shift will address at least one of the five system outcomes of access, quality, equity, unity, and efficiency, with quality as the common underlying focus across all shifts due to the fact that this is the dimension which requires the most urgent attention. Some of these shifts represent a change in strategy and direction. Others represent operational changes in the way ▪ Bilingual Proficiency: Every child will be, at minimum, operationally proficient in Bahasa Malaysia as the national language the Ministry and schools have historically implemented existing policies. Regardless of whether it is a strategic or operational shift, they all and language of unity, and in English as the international language of communication. This means that upon leaving school, the student represent a move away from current practices. should be able to work in both a Bahasa Malaysia and English language environment. The Ministry will also encourage all students Collectively, these shifts address every stakeholder and the main concerns of the public. The Ministry hopes that this inclusiveness to learn an additional language. will provide the basis for a common focus that can be embraced by all Malaysians. The following section summarises each of these shifts and ▪ Ethics and Spirituality: The education system will inculcate provides examples of game-changing initiatives that will be launched. strong ethics and spirituality in every child to prepare them to rise to the challenges they will inevitably face in adult life, to resolve
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shift 1: provide equal access to quality education of an international standard why it is needed: the foundation for the success of a school system lies in its definition of what its students must know, understand, and be able to do. malaysian students have historically excelled at reproducing subject content. however, this skill is less valuable in today’s ever-changing economy. instead, students need to be able to reason, to extrapolate, and to creatively apply their knowledge in novel, unfamiliar settings. they also need attributes such as leadership to be globally competitive. as the timss and pisa international assessments have demonstrated, our students struggle with higher-order thinking skills. surveys of malaysian and multinational companies also suggest that our students fall short on the soft skills looked for by prospective employers. at the same time, education is often seen as an enabler for social mobility, enabling children born in poor families to earn higher incomes as adults. as long as socio-economic status remains the greatest predictor of academic success, and the factor behind the largest of all student outcome gaps in malaysia, this promise will remain elusive for many malaysians. what success will look like. firstly, standards for student outcomes and learning practices will be benchmarked and aligned with that of high-performing education systems so that the students malaysia produce are globally competitive. secondly, students who need more help will be given access to the right levels of support to succeed at school.
Benchmark the learning of languages, Mathematics, and Science to international standards. Every student will receive a strong grounding in literacy and numeracy—the foundational skills for all further learning—as well as in Science, a key growth area for the Malaysian economy. They will be taught a curriculum that has been benchmarked to the standards of high-performing education systems, and this benchmarking will be validated by an independent party to build parents’ confidence. The Ministry will also set and monitor performance targets for its performance on the PISA and TIMSS international assessments. Additional assessments that address other dimensions of quality that are relevant to the Malaysian context may be added as they are developed, and become accepted international standards. Launch new Secondary School Standard Curriculum or Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Menengah (KSSM) and revised Primary School Standard Curriculum or Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah (KSSR) in 2017. The school curriculum at both primary and secondary levels will be revised to embed a balanced set of knowledge and skills such as creative thinking, innovation, problemsolving, and leadership. This curriculum will still stress studentcentred and differentiated teaching, but have a greater emphasis on problem-based and project-based work, a streamlined set of subjects
or themes, and formative assessments. The new curriculum will also support an accelerated learning pathway for high-performing students to complete SPM in four rather than five years, and UPSR in five rather than six years. Additionally, clear learning standards will be laid out so that students and parents understand the progress expected within each year of schooling. Revamp national examinations and school-based assessments to gradually increase percentage of questions that test higher-order thinking. By 2016, higher-order thinking questions will make up 80% of questions for UPSR, 80% of the Form 3 central assessment, 75% of the questions for SPM core subjects and 50% of the questions for SPM elective subjects. This change in examination design means that teachers will focus less on predicting what topics and questions will come out and drilling for content recall. Instead, students will be trained to think critically and to apply their knowledge in different settings. Similarly, school-based assessments will also shift their focus to testing for higher-order thinking skills. Raise quality of all preschools and encourage universal enrolment by 2020. Every child aged 5+ will be enrolled in a registered preschool, be it public or private. Low-income families that would otherwise not be able to afford preschool will receive need-based financial support from the Ministry. All preschools will follow a set of national quality standards, including a provision that every preschool teacher has a minimum diploma qualification. These schools will also be inspected regularly by the Ministry or the Early Childhood Care and Education Council of Malaysia to ensure that they meet minimum standards. Move from 6 to 11 years of compulsory schooling, starting at age 6+, supported by targeted retention programmes and job-ready vocational training. By 2020, every student will leave formal schooling with a minimum SPM or equivalent vocational qualification. This means that compulsory schooling will increase from 6 to 11 years, and that approximately 5%, 10%, and 20% more students will be enrolled at the primary, lower, and upper secondary levels respectively (based on 2011 enrolment numbers for public and private schools). Students who are at risk of dropping out will be supported through a variety of retention initiatives, from remedial coaching to parent and student counselling. Students will also be able to choose from a variety of education pathways based on their specific interests and potential. This includes expanded vocational streams that offer industry-recognised qualifications and hands-on practicum opportunities, through close partnerships with the private sector. Increase investment in physical and teaching resources for students with specific needs. Students from indigenous and other minority groups, as well as students with physical or learning disabilities, will receive more support in order to level the playing field. By 2025, these students will all go to schools with the facilities and equipment needed to create a conducive and supportive learning environment. They will be taught by teachers who have received additional training to help them understand their students’ specific contexts and challenges, and the teaching strategies required to address them. These students will also be supported by an expanded network of counsellors, therapists, and teaching assistants, as required.
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Executive Summary
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shift 2: ensure every child is proficient in bahasa malaysia and english language why it is needed: malaysia’s multicultural society makes it a natural environment for producing students who are proficient in more than one language. the current system produces commendably strong bahasa malaysia learning outcomes. there is widespread operational proficiency in bahasa malaysia among students, with 75% students achieving a minimum credit in the 2010 spm examination. bahasa malaysia also consistently shows the strongest pass rates out of the core subjects in the upsr, lower secondary evaluation or Penilaian Menengah Rendah (pmr), and spm examinations. Operational proficiency in english is, however, much lower. Only 28% of students achieved a minimum credit in the 2011 spm english paper against cambridge 1119 standards. poor english proficiency among fresh graduates has, since 2006, also been consistently ranked as one of the top five issues facing malaysian employers. as the ethnic groups move through different primary schools, there are differences in outcomes by ethnicity. bumiputera students perform very strongly on bahasa malaysia proficiency with 84% achieving a minimum credit at spm, in contrast to 63% of chinese students, and 57% of indian students. for english, only 23% bumiputera, 42% chinese, and 35% tamil students score at a level equivalent to a cambridge 1119 credit or above (all results based on the 2010 spm examination). what success will look like: boosting all students’ proficiency in bahasa malaysia and english language will be the most immediate priority. after three years of schooling, every child will achieve 100% basic literacy in bahasa malaysia and english language. by the end of form five, 90% of students will score a minimum of a credit in spm bahasa malaysia, and 70% in spm english (against cambridge 1119 standards). further, the provision of other language subjects at all primary and secondary schools will be strengthened so that every child can have the opportunity to learn an additional language by 2025.
Introduce a standard Bahasa Malaysia curriculum at the primary level, with intensive remedial support for struggling students. Every primary school student, regardless of whether they are in a National or National-type school, will use a standard Bahasa Malaysia curriculum starting from the Year 4 cohort in 2014. At National-type schools, students who are struggling to cope with this change will receive remedial after-school Bahasa Malaysia classes from Years 4 to 6 (after the completion of the Literacy and Numeracy Screening (LINUS) 2.0 programme). The objective is to intervene early and often to allow for the removal of the “Remove” or Peralihan class from 2017 onwards.
Expand the LINUS programme to include English literacy. Every student in Years 1 to 3 will be screened twice a year to determine if they are progressing in Bahasa Malaysia and English literacy at an expected pace. Students who fall behind will be given remedial coaching until they are able to return to the mainstream curriculum. Teachers working with such students will also receive dedicated coaching from district level teacher coaches. Upskill English teachers and expand opportunities for greater exposure to the language. Every student will be taught English by a teacher who is proficient according to international standards. This will be achieved by having all 70,000 English teachers pass the Cambridge Placement Test (CPT) within two years. Teachers who have yet to meet this standard will receive intensive upskilling. Beyond that, students will have greater exposure to the language, for example via an expanded, compulsory English Literature module at the secondary level. International research indicates that more exposure time than the current 15-20% is required for students to achieve operational proficiency. Encourage every child to learn an additional language by 2025. Currently, many students already learn additional languages apart from Bahasa Malaysia and English language, which equip them well for entering the workforce in a globalising world. The aspiration is therefore for every child to have the opportunity to learn an additional language from primary through to secondary school. During the early years, the Ministry will focus on building up its cadre of Chinese, Tamil, and Arabic language teachers to ensure that the supply of teachers matches student demand. As the system builds up capacity and capability, the Ministry will also expand the provision of other important languages such as Spanish, French, and Japanese.
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shift 3: develop values-driven malaysians why it is needed: today’s students will inherit a world fraught with challenges, from environmental degradation to armed conflict, on a scale that has never been seen before. successfully navigating these issues will not only require students to have leadership skills, but strong universal values such as integrity, compassion, justice, and altruism, to guide them in making ethical decisions. at the same time, it is important to balance the development of global citizenship with a strong national identity.
and underlying philosophies of Islam and other main religions in Malaysia. Similarly, for non-Muslim students, Moral Education will include an understanding of the core values of all main religions in Malaysia. The Ministry will also look into having Moral and Islamic Education students share certain classes together when common universal values are taught. Develop students holistically by reinforcing the requirement for every student to participate in 1 Sport, 1 Club, and 1 Uniformed Body. Co-curricular involvement provides students with opportunities to develop their individual talents and interests outside of a formal classroom setting. Such activities also provide excellent leadership opportunities for students. Every child will therefore still be expected to participate in at least 1 sport, 1 club, and 1 uniformed body. The Ministry will also look into making participation a requirement for graduation and scholarships for further education. To improve the quality of activities offered at each school, the Ministry will provide targeted training to teachers who act as advisors for these different activities, and partner with more community organisations and the private sector in the delivery of these programmes.
what success will look like: every student leaves school as a global citizen imbued with core, universal values and a strong malaysian identity. the values they have learnt are applied in their day to day lives, leading to more civic behaviour such as an increase in volunteerism; a willingness to embrace peoples of other nationalities, religions and ethnicities; and a reduction in corruption and crime. every student also leaves school prepared to act as a leader, whether in their own lives and families, or as part Enhance and scale up RIMUP from 2016 to facilitate interaction across school types. The Ministry currently runs of the broader community and nation.
Strengthen Islamic Education, Moral Education and civics elements by 2017. The new KSSM will require that every primary and secondary school student participate in community service. For secondary school students, this community service element will be a pre-requisite for graduation. Islamic Education curriculum for Muslim students will include a greater focus on understanding the core values
a cross-school activity programme, RIMUP, to foster greater interaction across students from different school types. In the future, the frequency and intensity of the programme will be increased and targeted at schools with more homogeneous student populations, such as National-type and religious schools. The Ministry will also expand this programme to include private schools.
Image by esharkj, Flickr CC 2.0
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Executive Summary
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shift 4: transform teaching into the profession of choice why it is needed: international research shows that teacher quality is the most significant school-based factor in determining student outcomes. the quality of a system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers. while there are certainly many excellent teachers in the malaysian education system, a 2011 research study found that only 50% of lessons are being delivered in an effective manner. this means that the lessons did not sufficiently engage students, and followed a more passive, lecture format of content delivery. these lessons focused on achieving surface-level content understanding, instead of higher-order thinking skills. this statistic is particularly challenging as an estimated 60% of today’s teachers will still be teaching in 20 years’ time. what success will look like: teaching will be a prestigious, elite profession that only recruits from the top 30% of graduates in the country. teachers will receive the best training possible, from the time they enter their teacher training programmes, through to the point of retirement. they will have access to exciting career development opportunities across several distinct pathways, with progression based on competency and performance, not tenure. there will be a peer-led culture of excellence wherein teachers mentor one another, develop and share best practices and hold their peers accountable for meeting professional standards.
peers including teacher coaches, senior teachers, and principals to disseminate best practices. The training will allow teachers to continuously build their skill levels against each of the competencies expected of a teacher. The Teacher Education Division or Bahagian Pendidikan Guru (BPG) will be responsible for providing this CPD. Focus teachers on their core function of teaching from 2013. Teachers will enjoy a reduced administrative burden, so that they can focus the majority of their time on their core function of teaching. This will be achieved by streamlining and simplifying existing data collection and management processes. Some administrative functions will also be moved to a centralised service centre or to a dedicated administrative teacher at the school level. Implement competency and performance-based career progression by 2016. Teachers will be assessed annually by their principals, with input potentially being provided by peers. This assessment will be done using a new evaluation instrument that focuses on teachers’ ability to deliver effective instruction in and out of the classroom. This new tool is more reflective of the fact that a teacher’s primary role is helping students learn. Highperforming teachers will enjoy faster career progression. The very best teachers may even be promoted from DG41 to DG54 in a faster time period than the current average promotion time of 25 years. Teachers who are struggling to meet the minimum quality will receive extra coaching support to help them get back on track. Teachers who consistently underperform even with the extra support will be redeployed to other school-based functions such as administration, discipline management or co-curricular management. Over time, the Ministry will gradually reduce the total cohort size of teachers through improvements in teacher time utilisation and productivity.
Enhance pathways for teachers into leadership, master teaching and subject specialist roles by 2016. Teachers Raise the entry bar for teachers from 2013 to be amongst will also be able to pursue attractive pathways based on their top 30% of graduates: In the future, only the best candidates will be recruited as teachers. This means that the Ministry will rigorously performance, potential and interests. For example, they may wish enforce entry standards to ensure that 100% of every teacher training to pursue a leadership role at the school, district, state, or federal level. They may choose to become subject specialists focused on intake meet the minimum academic requirement. The Ministry developing curriculum, assessment, and training programmes for will also work with the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) to the broader system. They may work as master teachers in schools. ensure that the same standards are put in place in the Public Higher Regardless of the pathway chosen, the commitment to investing in Education Institutes or Institut Pengajian Tinggi Awam (IPTAs) their development and in building an environment of professional teacher training programmes. Additionally, the Ministry will work with Teacher Education Institutes or Institut Pendidikan Guru (IPGs) accountability will be maintained across their careers. There will also and MOHE to ensure that the quality of the curriculum and lecturers be comparable opportunities for promotion across these pathways. are upgraded to deliver the kind of teachers desired. The Ministry Develop a peer-led culture of professional excellence will also introduce more stringent graduation requirements so that and certification process by 2025. The Ministry will focus on only the best trainees can graduate and be guaranteed placement in ensuring that all teachers fully utilise the flexibilities accorded to Malaysian schools. them over professional issues related to curriculum timetabling and lesson organisation, pedagogical approaches and school-based Upgrade the quality of continuous professional assessment. The Ministry will also facilitate teacher-driven CPD development (CPD) from 2013. Teachers will receive greater support to help them achieve their full potential. When they enter the activities to enable teachers to mentor one another, develop and disseminate best practices and hold each other accountable for profession, teachers will develop an individualised CPD programme meeting professional standards. As an extension of the competencywith their supervisors. This CPD programme will include common based progression system, the Ministry may also consider setting training requirements expected of all teachers, as well as electives up a certification scheme linked to the mastery of the teacher that teachers can pursue based on their own developmental needs. competencies described above. As with all measures, the Ministry will It will mostly be run at school, as school-based training has proven work collaboratively with teacher representatives to achieve these to be the most effective form of CPD. It will use a network of aims.
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eleven shifts tO transfOrm the system
Eleven shifts to transform the system
SHIFTS
PROVIDE EQUAL ACCESS TO QUALITY EDUCATION OF AN INTERNATIONAL STANDARD
ENSURE EVERY CHILD IS PROFICIENT IN BAHASA MALAYSIA AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE
DEVELOP VALUES-DRIVEN MALAYSIANS
TRANSFORM TEACHING INTO THE PROFESSION OF CHOICE
ENSURE HIGHPERFORMING SCHOOL LEADERS IN EVERY SCHOOL
▪ Benchmark the learning of languages, Mathematics and Science to international standards ▪ Launch new Secondary (KSSM) and revised Primary Curriculum (KSSR) in 2017 ▪ Revamp examinations and assessments to increase focus on testing higher-order thinking skills by 2016 ▪ Raise quality of preschools and push to 100% enrolment by 2020 ▪ Move from 6 to 11 years of compulsory schooling, starting at age 6+; supported by retention initiatives and job-ready vocational training ▪ Increase investment in physical and teaching resources for students with specific needs
▪ Introduce a common Bahasa Malaysia curriculum at the primary level, with earlier intensive remedial support for students that struggle to allow for removal of peralihan class ▪ Expand the LINUS programme to include English language literacy ▪ Upskill English language teachers and expand opportunities for greater exposure to English language ▪ Encourage every child to learn an additional language by 2025
▪ Strengthen civics elements by making community service a pre-requisite to graduation by 2017 ▪ Enhance Islamic and Moral Education with greater focus on core values and underlying philosophies of major religions by 2017 ▪ Develop students holistically by reinforcing requirement to participate in 1 Sport, 1 Club and 1 Uniformed Body ▪ Enhance and expand RIMUP from 2016 to facilitate interaction across school types, ethnicities and socioeconomic groups
▪ Raise entry bar for teachers from 2013 to be amongst top 30% of graduates ▪ Upgrade the quality and personalisation of CPD from 2013 with greater emphasis on schoolbased training ▪ Focus teachers on their core function of teaching from 2013 by reducing administration burdens ▪ Implement competency and performance-based career progression by 2016 ▪ Enhance pathways for teachers into leadership, master teaching and subject specialist roles by 2016 ▪ Peer-led culture of excellence and certification process by 2025
▪ Competency-based selection criteria and enhanced succession planning processes for principals from 2013 ▪ New Principal Career Package rolled-out in waves from 2013, with greater support (for example via coaches, on-boarding programmes), greater operational flexibility for school improvement, curriculum and cocurricular planning, and sharper accountability for improving student outcomes
SHIFT
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Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Executive Summary
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EMPOWER JPNs, PPDs, AND SCHOOLS TO CUSTOMISE SOLUTIONS BASED ON NEED
LEVERAGE ICT TO SCALE UP QUALITY LEARNING ACROSS MALAYSIA
TRANSFORM MINISTRY DELIVERY CAPABILITIES AND CAPACITY
PARTNER WITH PARENTS, COMMUNITY, AND PRIVATE SECTOR AT SCALE
MAXIMISE STUDENT OUTCOMES FOR EVERY RINGGIT
INCREASE TRANSPARENCY FOR DIRECT PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY
▪ Accelerate school improvement through systematic, districtled programmes in all states by 2014 ▪ Allow greater schoolbased management and autonomy, including greater operational flexibility over budget allocation and curriculum implementation, starting with the best performing and most improved schools ▪ Ensure 100% of schools meet basic infrastructure requirements by 2015, starting with Sabah and Sarawak
▪ Provide internet access and virtual learning environment via 1BestariNet for all 10,000 schools by 2013 ▪ Augment online best practices content starting with a video library of best teachers delivering lessons in critical subjects in 2013 ▪ Maximise use of ICT for distance and selfpaced learning to expand capacity and allow for more customised learning
▪ Empower JPNs and PPDs through greater decision making power over budget and personnel while also holding them accountable for common KPIs from 2013 ▪ Deploy almost 2,500 more personnel from Head Office and JPNs to PPDs to better support schools by 2014 ▪ Strengthen leadership capabilities in pivotal 150-200 leadership roles from 2013 ▪ Strengthen key central functions and rationalise structure of Ministry from 2016
▪ Equip every parent to support their child's learning via a parent engagement toolkit and online access to their child's in-school progress (SAPS system) ▪ Invite every PIBG to provide input on contextualisation of curriculum and teacher quality from 2016 ▪ Expand Trust School model to 500 schools by 2025 by including alumni groups and NGOs as potential sponsors
▪ Link every programme to clear student outcomes and annually rationalise programmes that have low impact; align to government’s overall shift towards outcome-based budgeting ▪ Capture efficiency opportunities, with funding reallocated to the most critical areas such as teacher training and upskilling
▪ Publish an annual public report on progress against Blueprint targets and initiatives, starting for the year 2013 ▪ Conduct comprehensive stocktakes in 2015, 2020 and 2025 to ensure Blueprint remains relevant by incorporating stakeholder feedback and accounting for an ever evolving external environment
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shift 5: ensure high-performing school leaders in every school why it is needed: the quality of school leaders is the second biggest school-based factor in determining student outcomes, after teacher quality. international research on school leadership shows that an outstanding principal—one who is focused on instructional and not administrative leadership—can raise student outcomes by as much as 20%. the current selection criteria is, however, driven primarily by tenure rather than leadership competency. additionally, 55% of today’s principals received no preparatory or induction training before or during their formative first three years of principalship. this means that principals may enter, ill-prepared for their new role. with 40% of principals due to retire within the next five years, there is an opportunity to upgrade the cohort. what success will look like: every school will have a highperforming principal who is relentless in his/her focus on improving student outcomes, both academic and nonacademic. the best principals will be given incentives to serve in the weakest schools, and will serve as mentors for the broader community. further, the leadership base in each school will be strengthened with assistant principals, subject heads, and department heads being developed to act as instructional leaders in their own right.
Enhance selection criteria and succession planning processes for principals from 2013. The Ministry will move from a tenure-based selection criteria to one that is focused on the demonstration of leadership competencies. Every principal will also be required to complete the National Professional Qualification for Educational Leaders (NPQEL) at Institut Aminuddin Baki (IAB) before they can be appointed. In doing so, the average age of a principal is expected to drop, allowing principals to serve for longer periods in each school and in the system as a whole. Further, the Ministry will institute a succession planning process that identifies and cultivates highpotential individuals to ensure that there is a ready pool of candidates
that can be called upon as soon as an opening is available. Once these mechanisms have been set up, the Ministry will expand their planning focus to include assistant principals, as well as subject and department heads. Roll out a New Principal Career Package in waves from 2013 with greater support and sharper accountability for improving student outcomes. As with teachers, principals will receive greater support to help them achieve their full potential and will therefore be held more accountable for the delivery of higher student outcomes. Soon-to-be appointed principals will benefit from a new on-boarding programme where they spend one month under the mentorship of the principal who will be leaving. They will also enjoy a set period of coaching and mentoring from an experienced principal or district School Improvement Partner (SiPartner+) once they have formally started their new role as principal. These individualised opportunities for CPD will not stop in their first year, but remain a resource that principals can draw on for constant professional renewal. IAB will also ensure that comparable CPD opportunities are available to assistant principals, subject heads, and department heads. Principals will have the flexibility to serve at a primary or secondary school through a new, common civil service track. They will be assessed annually on a new evaluation instrument that focuses on their leadership abilities and improvement of student outcomes. As with teachers, highperforming principals will enjoy faster career progression opportunities. Incentives will also be revised to encourage high-performing principals to take up positions in rural and/or underperforming schools. Principals who struggle to meet the minimum standard will receive extra coaching support and principals who consistently underperform despite this concerted support will be redeployed back to a teaching position in another school. All school leaders (principals, assistant principals, department heads and subject heads) will be prepared to fully utilise the decision-making flexibilities accorded to them. This includes instructional leadership matters such as school improvement planning and curriculum and cocurricular planning, as well as administrative leadership matters such as allocation of school funds. As with teachers, the aspiration is to create a peer-led culture of professional excellence wherein school leaders mentor and train one another, develop and disseminate best practices and hold their peers accountable for meeting professional standards.
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Executive Summary
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shift 6: empower jpns, ppds, and schools to customise solutions based on need why it is needed: both national and international data suggest that malaysian schools are spread across a wide performance spectrum. for example, in the 2009+ pisa, 7% of participating schools were graded as good, 13% as fair, and 80% as poor. historically, many programmes have been designed according to a “one-size-fits-all” model. international evidence suggests that different sets of interventions are required in order to best serve schools at different performance levels. what success will look like: every school, regardless of location, size, or type, will provide its students with a good, holistic education. this not only means that there will be no underperforming (bands 6 or 7) schools in the country by 2020, but also that more schools will be recognised as high performing or cluster schools based on their performance. the amount of financial and operational support provided to each school will depend on its specific needs. state, district and school leaders will also have greater decision making power over day-to-day operations to tailor interventions based on the school’s context and enable greater schoolbased management.
Accelerate school improvement through systematic, districtled programmes rolled-out across all states by 2014. Building off the success of the GTP 1.0 School Improvement Programme, every District Education Office or Pejabat Pelajaran Daerah (PPD) will be empowered to tailor the support provided to schools on dimensions from student attendance through to principal and teacher deployment. Resources can then be directed to where they are most needed. This includes employing full-time teacher and principal coaches to support principals and teachers in lower-performing schools (Bands 5, 6, and 7). At the same time, the Ministry will ensure that all schools and districts remain aligned to the Ministry’s strategic priorities through
the roll out of a common set of Key Performance Indications (KPIs). This programme will be piloted in Kedah and Sabah from January 2013, with implementation in all districts by January 2014. Allow greater school-based management and autonomy for schools that meet a minimum performance criteria. In the future, all schools will be responsible for operational decision making in terms of budget allocation and curriculum implementation. For example, principals will have full authority over how they spend the student per capita grant and on how they design the school timetable. However, this process will occur in waves, starting with High Performing and Cluster Schools (in recognition of their academic and non-academic achievements), and Trust Schools (in recognition of their innovative public-private partnership delivery model). Over time, more and more schools will be granted these decision rights based on their performance. This increased emphasis on school-based management will also be accompanied by sharper accountability on the part of school principals. Ensure 100% of schools meet basic infrastructure requirements by 2015, starting with Sabah and Sarawak. Every school in Malaysia, regardless of location, size, or type, will meet a set of minimum infrastructure requirements to create a safe, hygienic, and conducive environment for learning. This includes access to clean, treated water; at least 12-hours of electricity per day, along with sufficient toilets, classrooms, tables, and chairs for the student and teacher population. This process will start with the upgrading of all schools to fulfil basic infrastructure standards by 2015, starting with the two states—Sabah and Sarawak—that currently face the greatest infrastructure challenges. Once all schools have met basic infrastructure standards, the Ministry will proceed to invest in another wave of upgrades to meet baseline requirements for delivering the curriculum effectively such as Science laboratories and Living Skills workshops.
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shift 7: leverage ict to scale up quality learning across malaysia why it is needed: the ministry has spent more than rm6 billion on information and communication technology (ict) over the past decade in education initiatives such as smart schools—one of the most capital-intensive investments the system has undertaken. however, ict usage in schools continues to lag expectations—both in terms of quantity and quality. for example, a 2010 ministry study found that approximately 80% of teachers spend less than one hour a week using ict, and only a third of students perceive their teachers to be using ict regularly. critically, the 2012 unescO review found that ict usage has not gone much further than the use of word-processing applications as an instructional tool. ict has tremendous potential to accelerate the learning of a wide range of knowledge and thinking skills. however, this potential has not yet been achieved. what success will look like: across all 10,000 schools in malaysia, ict will enhance how teaching and learning happens. students will be able to access a wider range of content that is more engaging and interactive. they will be able to learn some lessons at their own pace, and will have fewer limitations in what they choose to study through distance-learning programmes. teachers and principals will have access to both national and international learning resources and communities to help them improve their practice. ict will be a ubiquitous part of schooling life, with no urban-rural divide, and with all teachers and students equipped with the skills necessary to use this technology meaningfully.
Provide internet access and virtual learning environments via 1BestariNet for all 10,000 schools by 2013. In the very near future, every student will have access to a 4G network at their school through 1BestariNet. This network will serve as the basis for the creation of a virtual learning platform that can be used by teachers, students and parents to share learning resources, run interactive lessons, and communicate virtually. To maximise the impact from investment, the Ministry will also invest in ICT-competency training for all teachers, and gradually improve the device-to-student ratio from approximately 1:30 in 2011 to 1:10 by 2020. In order to remain cost-efficient, the Ministry will invest in fit-for-purpose devices such as basic computers or low-cost laptops. It will also experiment with utilising new, less resource-intensive alternatives for ICT facilities compared to current computer labs, such as a lending library for notebooks and computers-on-wheels.
Augment online content to share best practices starting with a video library in 2013 of Guru Cemerlang delivering lessons in Science, Mathematics, Bahasa Malaysia, and English language. Teachers will be able to access even more exemplary teaching resources online. This will begin with a video library in 2013 of the top Guru Cemerlang delivering daily lessons in important subjects of Science, Mathematics, Bahasa Malaysia, and English language. Other subjects will be added to the video library over time. This resource can be used by teachers for inspiration, or even by students as a revision tool. Maximise use of ICT for distance and self-paced learning to expand access to high-quality teaching regardless of location or student skill level. In the future, students will enjoy greater personalisation of their educational experience. They will be able to pursue subjects that are not offered at their own school and learn directly under the best teachers in the country through distance learning programmes. They will also be able to learn at their own pace, with teachers acting as facilitators rather than direct content providers. Pilot programmes for these innovations will be rolled out from 2016, with successful programmes scaled up nationwide.
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Executive Summary
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shift 8: transform ministry delivery capabilities and capacity why it is needed: malaysia’s education delivery network is extensive. it employs approximately 6,800 officials and support staff at the federal level, almost 6,400 at the state level, and a further 6,000 at the district level. this is in addition to approximately 420,000 principals and teachers in schools, and more than 13,100 officials and support staff in ipgs, iab, and matriculation colleges. implementing policy across a network of this size is complex. issues identified include overlaps in the responsibilities of the federal, state, and district levels; limited coordination across divisions and administrative levels; policies that are sometimes rolled-out with inconsistent information or insufficient support; and weak outcome-based monitoring and follow-through. the ppd, in particular, has been identified by the ministry as a key point in the education delivery chain. ppds were historically conceived as an administrative arm of the federal and state levels. as the needs of schools have evolved, however, so too has the scope of activities expected of the ppds. as the closest ministry entity to schools, ppds are now expected to be very hands-on. they should provide direct support to school leaders and proactively manage school performance to ensure student outcomes improve. however, the ministry’s resourcing structure has yet to shift to meet this demand, resulting in schools receiving uneven levels of support. what success will look like: the transformed ministry will have strong leaders at every level, new processes and structures, and a culture of high performance. the roles of the federal, state and district levels will be streamlined, with the federal or head Office focused on policy development and macro-level planning, and the state education departments or Jabatan Pelajaran Negeri (jpns) and ppds strengthened to drive day-today implementation. the organisational structure will be rationalised with more personnel deployed to the frontlines. these measures should yield more consistent and effective policy implementation across all states and districts.
Empower JPNs and PPDs through greater decision-making power over budget and personnel from 2013, and greater accountability for improving student outcomes. The Ministry will streamline roles and responsibilities across federal, state, and district levels and move towards a more decentralised system of operations. JPNs and PPDs will increasingly be able to make key operational decisions in budgeting, such as maintenance allocations for schools, and in personnel, such as the appointment of principals. Due to this increased operational flexibility, JPNs and PPDs will be held accountable against a common set of KPIs that align with the system targets of access, quality, equity, unity, and efficiency. To support district and state officers in delivering on these new responsibilities, the Ministry will invest more in their continuous professional development. Deploy almost 2,500 more personnel from the Ministry and JPNs to PPDs in order to better support schools by 2014. Schools will receive more hands-on support through the deployment of almost 2,500 teacher and principal coaches across all PPDs in Malaysia. Regardless of function, all PPD officers will also be expected to shift their focus from work at the PPD to hands-on engagement with schools. This is to ensure that they fully understand the contexts in which each school operates. The goal is for PPDs to function as the first line of support for schools and their single point of contact with the rest of the Ministry. Strengthen leadership capabilities in 150-200 pivotal leadership positions from 2013. The Ministry has identified 150-200 pivotal leadership positions at the federal, state, and district levels that particularly impact the activities of the 10,000 schools in the system. These positions include the heads of 138 PPDs and 16 JPNs and several key central functions such as teacher education. The Ministry has started reviewing competency profiles and developing succession plans to ensure that these roles are staffed with highlyskilled individuals capable of transforming the departments and schools under them. As with teachers and principals, the intent is to promote officers to these critical roles based on their performance and competency, and not by tenure. Strengthen key central functions and rationalise structure from 2016. The Ministry recognises that some functions will be particularly critical to the rollout of the Blueprint. These include policy research and planning, teacher education, curriculum development, school inspections, and examination and assessment. The Ministry will review each of the relevant divisions responsible for these functions to determine what steps are required to strengthen their capabilities. This could include setting up the divisions as centres of excellence to increase their independence, and/or targeted hiring of external specialists. Following the refinement of federal, state, and district roles, the Ministry will also rationalise and realign the entire organisational structure of the Ministry to reflect the changes in responsibilities and functions.
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shift 9: partner with parents, community, and private sector at scale why it is needed: international experience makes it clear that learning happens well beyond the school walls and can occur at home and in the community. in malaysia, approximately a quarter of a child’s time from the ages of 7 to 17 is spent in school. the priority is thus to shift from “school learning” to “system learning” by engaging parents, the community, as well as the private and social sectors as partners in supporting student learning. critically, international evidence is clear that some forms of involvement make more of a difference. for example, evidence from the Oecd studies on pisa indicate that certain parent-child activities—such as reading to their children on a daily basis or discussing how their day was—can significantly raise student outcomes, regardless of socio-economic background. similarly, international research has found that schools that engage with businesses, civic organisations, and higher education institutes enjoy benefits that include higher grades and lower student absenteeism. what success will look like: every parent will be an active partner in their child’s learning, not only through the standard raft of activities like report card and sports days, but also a strengthened parent-teacher association or Persatuan Ibu Bapa dan Guru (pibg) that provides input on school-based management matters, as well as parent toolkits to support student learning. schools will also have a network of community and private sector partners that contribute expertise to the school’s development. the involvement of all these stakeholders will create a learning ecosystem that reinforces the knowledge, skills, and values taught to students at school.
Equip every parent to support their child’s learning through a parent engagement toolkit and online access to their child’s in-school progress. In the future, parents can expect to work more closely with teachers to improve their child’s performance. Parents will sign home-school agreements that specify simple actions they can take to help their child, from ensuring that the child is always on time for school, to helping them build literacy and numeracy skills at home. Parents will be supported in this process through the provision of online access to their child’s progress on school-based and national assessments (via the School Examination Analysis System or Sistem Analisis Peperiksaan Sekolah, (SAPS)) and initiatives that promote adult literacy, ICT and parenting skills. These initiatives may be driven by the Ministry or a new Parent Support Group that will be established within each PIBG. Invite every PIBG to provide input on contextualisation of curriculum and teacher quality from 2016. In the future, the role of the PIBG will evolve from typically being focused on fundraising, to working collaboratively with school leadership to improve student outcomes. Specifically, PIBGs will be invited to provide input
on how the school can make the national curriculum more relevant to the needs of the local community, and to provide feedback on the quality of teaching and learning experienced by their children. PIBGs and school leaders will then work together to define solutions for the identified issues. In some cases, this may mean securing parental support to take on roles as supplementary coaches and teachers for school activities. Expand Trust School model to 500 schools by 2025 by including alumni groups and non-governmental organisations, (NGOs) as potential sponsors. A greater diversity of private and social sector entities will have the opportunity to get involved in the school improvement process. This will be done through the expansion of the Trust Schools programme which enables a private sponsor to partner with school leadership to manage a school. Initial results from a pilot started in 2010 have been promising, and the Ministry intends to not only expand the number of schools, but also the type of schools that are involved. The Ministry sees particular promise in expanding the programme to include schools that cater to more disadvantaged communities such as indigenous and minority groups, students with special needs, and rural schools.
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Executive Summary
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shift 10: maximise student outcomes for every ringgit why it is needed: in 2011, 16% of malaysia’s annual federal budget was spent on education—the largest proportion among all ministries. malaysia’s education budget, as a share of gdp, is also one of the highest in the world. this significant investment is an indication of the government’s commitment to education. however, it is unlikely that substantially more funds can be diverted to the education system away from other priorities. instead, it is critical for the ministry to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of how it allocates and spends its funds. what success will look like: given the ambitious transformation effort that the education system is about to undertake, the government will continue to invest an approximate level of expenditure—16% of the federal budget—in the education system. the ministry will allocate these funds to the priorities set out in the blueprint, and away from other lower impact programmes and initiatives, the ministry will also track and report the captured return on investment for every initiative, with further investment conditional of having delivered improved outcomes.
Link every programme to clear student outcomes, and annually rationalise programmes that have low impact. Moving forward, every programme launched by the Ministry will be linked to specific targets in terms of student outcomes. The federal, state and district offices will undertake an annual review exercise to evaluate the programme’s success in meeting these targets. Funding for the following year will be conditional of having demonstrated improved outcomes. With this outcome-based budgeting approach, parents, teachers, and principals can be assured that every programme is aligned with the Blueprint’s priorities and adds value. This move will also reduce the risk of initiative overload so that teachers and principals are not overburdened. Capture efficiency opportunities, with funding reallocated to the most critical areas such as teacher training and upskilling. The Ministry will carefully review spending patterns at federal, state, and district levels to establish appropriate spending benchmarks and refine procurement processes. Departments and offices that are spending above the expected benchmark will be required to bring their spending patterns back in line. In line with this practice, the Ministry is committed to taking action on any issues highlighted in the annual Auditor-General report. The Ministry will also shift towards need-based financial aid programmes. Low-income families will continue to receive the aid they need to keep their children in schools, while higher-income families who can afford more will receive significantly less aid. Funding that would otherwise have been spent on these programmes will be reallocated to the areas with the greatest impact on student outcomes, namely teacher training and upskilling. An initial RM1 billion in operational expenditure for the period of 2013-2015 has been identified for saving and reallocation, and a review of development expenditure is still ongoing.
shift 11: increase transparency for direct public accountability why it is needed: the gtp and economic transformation programmes signalled a fundamental shift in the way the government made itself accountable to the rakyat. anything less is now deemed unacceptable. this was reinforced during the national dialogue where stakeholders frequently stressed the need for the ministry to engage and communicate more with the public on types and progress of initiatives being undertaken and the results being delivered. what success will look like: all stakeholders will have access to regular and transparent information about the ministry’s progress against the blueprint. this information will enable them to engage in a constructive dialogue with the ministry on existing and forthcoming initiatives, and to get involved in their local community school or the broader education system, as per shift 9. this will lead not only to an informed and empowered populace, but also a more accountable and responsive way of policy-making in the ministry.
Publish an annual public report on progress against Blueprint targets, starting from the year 2013. The Ministry will publish an annual report on the progress made against each initiative outlined in the Blueprint. Where relevant, this will also include clear explanations of how KPIs like the NKRA school performance band have been calculated, and ongoing efforts to improve how the system measures success. All stakeholders will enjoy a degree of transparency that has never before existed. Conduct comprehensive stock-takes in 2015, 2020 and 2025. The Ministry will undertake a stock-take at key milestones in the reform journey. As part of this stock-take, all stakeholders will be able to provide input through a National Dialogue process on what is or is not working well within the system, and what the Ministry could do about the situation. Thirteen years is a long timeframe, during which changes to the overarching strategy or specific initiatives are likely to be required. If major policy decisions are required during a non-stocktake year, the Ministry will conduct a national survey to gather input from relevant parties.
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What Impact Will This Transformation Journey Have?
Students
Students will make significant gains in their development irrespective of their background. Students will study in conducive learning environments, and will feel stretched and nurtured by their school experience. When they leave school, students will have worldclass knowledge and skills, strong moral values, and will be capable of competing with their peers in other countries.
Students will learn in an environment where the fundamental belief is that all students can learn and all students can succeed. Teachers will have high expectations of students regardless of their background or prior achievement, and will provide them with the necessary support to meet those expectations; Students will have a richer school experience, both academic and nonacademic, so that they can excel in life. There will be more project and group-based work to develop students’ higher-order thinking skills and ability to work both independently and collaboratively in groups. There will be more community-based projects and cross-school activities to foster interaction with individuals from all walks of life. There will be more opportunities for students to learn at their own pace and to pursue their interests in academic, vocational or technical streams; and Students will have greater say in shaping their learning experience. Teachers will work with them and their parents to set their own learning targets. Teachers will also encourage them to be advocates for themselves so that teachers understand what learning styles work best for each of them. In return, students will be asked to try their best at all times and to work collaboratively with their teachers to reduce disruptive classroom behaviour. All students will have the collective responsibility to help make their school safe and conducive to learning.
Teachers
Teachers will develop the world-class capabilities needed to facilitate desired student outcomes and gain more enjoyment and fulfillment from their jobs. With the new teacher career package, they will enjoy more fulfilling professional development, improved career pathways, and fair and transparent evaluation processes that are directly linked to relevant competencies and performance.
For the transformation of the Malaysian education system to be effective and sustainable, each participant must understand the critical role they each play and the benefits that they will enjoy. It is envisaged that the programme defined in this Blueprint will lead to a collective set of desirable benefits, rights, and responsibilities for each group.
Teachers will have the support they need to succeed. They will have access to more school-based professional development opportunities. They will participate in constructive feedback discussions and dialogue that focus not on blame and punishment, but on learning and development so that areas for improvement can become areas of strength; Teachers will enjoy better working conditions, performance-based rewards and enhanced pathways. They will work in schools with adequate facilities and appropriate working conditions. They will have a reduced administrative burden so that they can focus their energy on their core activities of teaching and learning. They will enjoy exciting performance-based rewards including faster career progression and can develop their interests along distinct pathways: teaching, leadership, and subject specialism; and Teachers will be immersed in a culture of collaboration and professional excellence. They will collaborate with one another to tackle issues and share best practices. They will have greater pedagogical flexibility in the classroom in their quest to ensure that every student learns. In return, teachers will be asked to stay open to learning and to new ways of working, to involve parents and students in the learning process, and to model the mindsets, values and behaviours expected of students.
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Executive Summary
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School leaders
School leaders will become excellent instructional leaders, and act as agents for change. They will enjoy closer support and enhanced services from federal, state, and district education officers. They will gain access to world-class leadership training, as well as best practices from their peers in Malaysia.
School leaders will have the support and resources they need to guide their schools effectively. They will receive better preparatory, induction, and ongoing training to help them develop their leadership skills. They will see improved responsiveness from PPDs on issues they face, from deployment of principal coaches to the provision of additional resources if the school is in greater need; School leaders will enjoy better working conditions and performance-based rewards. Principals, assistant principals as well as subject and department heads will work in schools with adequate facilities and have a reduced administrative burden so that they can focus their energy on instructional leadership. They will enjoy exciting performance-based rewards including faster career progression and “extra credit” for successful deployment in under-performing rural schools; and School leaders will be empowered through greater school-based management. They will have operational flexibility commensurate with their school’s performance on matters such as curriculum timetabling and budget allocation. They will enter into a professional partnership with their PPDs, with input into their school’s annual performance targets, and will enjoy greater transparency with regard to decisions affecting their school. In return, school leaders will be asked to perform to the high expectations set and agreed to for their school. They will need to stay open to new ways of working, to involve the community in school improvement, and to serve as coaches and trainers to build capabilities in their staff as well as for other schools.
Ministry officials
Ministry officials will develop as change leaders, with the skills and attributes needed to support schools. They will become better managers, coaches, and supporters of school excellence. They will benefit from greater meritocracy, greater empowerment with accountability, and will move away from hierarchy and control.
Ministry officials will receive targeted support, training, and resources needed to fulfill their new roles and responsibilities. They will have new roles focused on supporting schools, and have access to more professional development opportunities. They will participate in constructive feedback discussions that focus not on blame and punishment, but on learning and development; Ministry officials will work in a collaborative and transparent environment. Silos between divisions will be broken down, and roles and responsibilities will be streamlined to eliminate duplication of functions and activities. Information will be shared efficiently to allow for evidencebased decisions. There will be greater clarity about how decisions are made; and Ministry officials will receive greater operational flexibility and accountability. The system will move towards decentralisation with more decision rights being awarded to state and district offices. Officials will have more say in identifying areas of improvement for their states, districts, and schools, and in tailoring solutions to specific contexts. In return, Ministry officials will be asked to stay open to feedback from schools and from the community. They will champion the changes the system is about to undergo. They will need to be highly responsive in providing schools with the support and resources they need, as well as to keep all internal and external stakeholders wellinformed.
Parents
Parents will see tangible and sustained improvements in the educational experiences of their children. There will be increased transparency around a school’s performance and priorities, and parents will be constantly kept in the loop as to how their child is doing at school, both in terms of achievements and areas for development. Parents will feel like true partners with schools in facilitating their child’s learning.
Parents will have a better understanding of how their children are developing, and how they can help them improve. They will have regular contact with their children’s teachers, not just when there is a problem. They will have full visibility and access to their children’s performance on national examinations and school-based assessments. They will get guidance, from parenting tips to adult education classes, on how to best support their children’s learning and development; and Parents will have more opportunities to provide input into their school’s improvement strategies. They have the right to be fully informed about the school’s mission, current performance, and annual improvement programme. They will be able to, via their PIBG, provide input on matters such as teacher and curriculum quality. They will feel welcomed and valued for their commitment to their children and to the school. In return, parents will be asked to support their children in meeting their learning potential (for example, ensuring that they complete their homework and attend school on time), and to model commitment, engagement, and openness for their children. Parents will need to communicate input and concerns to schools in a constructive manner and actively participate in activities at school.
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EXHIBIT 9
the education transformation will take place over 13 years
Wave 1 (2013-2015) Turn around system by supporting teachers and focusing on core skills ▪
Tailored on-the-ground teacher coaching to raise teaching standards, particularly in core subjects of Bahasa Malaysia (BM), English language, Mathematics, and Science Higher entry standards for new teachers Dedicated principal coaches for Band 5,6 & 7 schools and enhanced selection criteria for principals to improve quality of school leadership Examination questions revamped with greater proportion focused on higher-order thinking skills Uniform standards for BM rolled out at primary level, with remedial support for students struggling in BM and English language National 1BestariNet rolled out to integrate ICT into day-to-day learning District support focused on underperforming schools, including those for students with specific needs, to accelerate school improvement Enrolment drives, greater parental involvement, and better vocational programmes to increase pre- and secondary school enrolment Enhanced practicum in vocational programmes through greater private sector collaboration Ministry transformation beginning with best leaders placed in pivotal JPN and PPD positions to improve delivery 100% students literate in Bahasa Malaysia and numerate after 3 years of schooling; target for English literacy to be determined after baseline is established 92% preschool, 98% primary, 90% lower secondary, 85% upper secondary enrolment 25 % reduction in the urban-rural gap
Wave 2 (2016-2020) Accelerate system improvement ▪
Enhanced teacher coaching and support to improve delivery of knowledge, skills, and values across all academic and non-academic aspects of curriculum Competency and performance based progressions, enhanced career pathways, and improved pre-service training to revitalise teaching profession New secondary and revised primary curriculum rolled out to raise content and learning standards to international benchmarks Peralihan class ended, options for increased English language exposure piloted, and additional language provision strengthened to improve overall language proficiency ICT innovations accelerated especially for distance and selfpaced learning Enhanced programmes for groups with specific needs such as Indigenous and other minority groups, gifted, and special needs Expanded vocational options through off-take agreements with private vocational providers Strengthened core divisions, streamlined federal, state, and district roles and restructured Ministry to improve delivery capacity and capabilities Malaysia’s performance at par with international average at the next TIMSS and PISA cycle 100% preschool to lower secondary enrolment. 90% upper secondary enrolment 50% reduction in the urban-rural gap, 25% reduction in the socio-economic and gender gap
Wave 3 (2021-2025) Move towards excellence with increased operational flexibility ▪
Greater school-based management and autonomy around curriculum implementation and budget allocation for most, if not all schools Peer-led culture of professional excellence where teachers and principals mentor one another, share best practices and hold peers accountable for meeting professional standards Innovations and options to continuously raise BM and English language proficiency are scaled up and more choices of additional languages provided Nationally rolled out ICT innovations and programmes for groups with specific needs to raise learning standards Ministry strengthened and transformation institutionalised with enhanced career progression for Ministry officials School structure review to determine if further optimisation of pathways and schooling options are necessary
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▪
▪
▪
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▪ ▪
Key outcomes ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪
Malaysia’s performance on TIMSS and PISA in top third of systems Maintain or improve enrolment Maintain or improve urban-rural gap, 50% reduction in the socioeconomic and gender gaps
▪ ▪
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Executive Summary
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sequencing the transfOrmatiOn
delivering the rOadmap
The Malaysian education system will need to undergo a complete transformation if it is to meet the ambitious aspirations set out in this The envisaged reform is broad and complex. Consequently, many Blueprint. This is a task of great complexity in both breadth and depth, initiatives have been developed as part of the reform. While each particularly given that most education system reforms around the individual initiative is important and meaningful, it is critical to world have fallen short of their aspirations. Of the 55 school systems streamline and sequence them so that the system is not overtaxed that took part in PISA 2000, only 12 have managed to demonstrate and execution fatigue is avoided. improvements in student outcomes over time—the rest either stagnated, or fell behind. This track record is not dissimilar to that of Common to all successful transformations in the private and public corporations undergoing major transformations—only one third is sectors is the prioritisation of some areas of improvement, sometimes successful. at the expense of others. This prioritisation is driven both by the system’s starting point as well as international evidence on the factors The Ministry has carefully reviewed international and national that make the most difference in improving student outcomes. Given evidence to identify what the Ministry would need to do differently the need to build the system’s capacity and capability successively, to deliver significant, sustainable, and widespread results. Based on the Ministry has sequenced the transformation to occur in three this research, the Ministry and the Government are committed to the waves (Exhibit 9). following actions: ▪ Wave 1 (2013-2015): Turn around system by supporting teachers and focusing on core skills. The Ministry’s focus during this phase will be on delivering a rapid turnaround programme. During this period, the focus will be on raising teaching quality by upskilling the existing pool of teachers, raising school leadership quality by improving how the education system appoints and trains principals, and improving student literacy (in both Bahasa Malaysia and English language) and numeracy through intensive remedial programmes. The Ministry will also strengthen and empower state and district offices to improve the quality of frontline support provided to all schools. By the end of Wave 1, the Ministry will ensure that all teachers, principals, and schools have achieved a minimum quality standard. ▪ Wave 2 (2016-2020): Accelerate system improvement. During the second wave, the Ministry will roll out structural changes aimed at accelerating the pace of change (Planning for all these initiatives will likely need to begin during Wave 1). These include moving all 410,000 teachers and 10,000 principals onto a new career package, restructuring the federal, state, and district offices to align with the revised roles laid out in Wave 1, and introducing a new secondary and revised primary curriculum that addresses concerns regarding the knowledge, skills, and values needed to thrive in today’s global economy. ▪ Wave 3 (2021-2025): Move towards excellence with increased operational flexibility. By the start of the third wave, all schools, teachers, and principals should be performing well above the minimum standard. As such, the Ministry will focus on increasing operational flexibility to cultivate a peer-led culture of professional excellence. The Ministry will also move most, if not all schools, onto a school-based management model, and scale up successful models of instructional innovation. The goal is to create a self-sustaining system that is capable of innovating and taking achievements to greater heights. ▪ Sustaining leadership commitment and focus at the top: Top Government and Ministry leadership, including the Prime Minister and the Minister of Education, are committed to regularly reviewing progress, providing guidance, and resolving issues with regard to the Blueprint. The Ministry leadership is also committed to identifying, cultivating and developing the leadership capabilities of the next generation of system leaders to ensure continuity and consistency of the transformation efforts. ▪ Establishing a small, high-powered delivery unit to drive Blueprint delivery: The Ministry will build on existing delivery capabilities to install an Education Delivery Unit (EDU) tasked with driving Blueprint delivery. Specifically, the EDU will monitor progress, problem solve implementation issues with the responsible officers, and manage communication with stakeholders with regard to the transformation. The EDU will draw from both the public and private sector to secure the best talent available. ▪ Intensifying internal and external performance management: Successful school reforms go beyond programme design to dramatically improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the Ministry of Education itself. As such, the Ministry will establish a performance management system that sets high expectations of individuals through clear KPIs. This system will invest in capability building to help individuals achieve their targets, reward strong performance, and address poor performance without creating a culture of blame. The Ministry will also publish performance results annually so that the public can track progress on the Blueprint ▪ Engaging Ministry officials and other stakeholders: The Blueprint development process was unprecedented in its attempt to engage and secure the input of the rakyat and the system’s biggest constituents: parents, students, teachers, principals and Ministry officials. As the Blueprint initiatives are rolled out, the Ministry will continue to solicit feedback from these parties and will regularly communicate progress to ensure that the entire education system is engaged in the transformation process.
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gains will be delivered within the next year
The Malaysian education system is entering an intensive period of change. Transformation of an education system takes time and some of the most significant results of these changes, such as improvements in performance on international assessments, will only be visible a few years down the road. Nonetheless, over the next twelve months, the public can expect to see significant changes in the way the system is run. These changes will form the foundation for future results. Exhibit 10 offers a sampling of what to expect over the coming months.
groups. The Ministry welcomes the rakyat’s input, and therefore encourages all interested parties to attend these sessions or to submit feedback by letter or online. The Malaysian Review Panel and the International Review Panel will also formally review the Blueprint and submit a final round of feedback. By mid-December 2012, the Ministry will have consolidated all feedback, incorporated it, and submitted the Final Blueprint to the Cabinet. Malaysian education stands at a crossroads, and the Ministry, taking the voices of the rakyat to heart, has chosen the more difficult, but ultimately more rewarding path. However, the Malaysian education system can only fulfil its ambitious aspirations through the continued support and commitment of all stakeholders. This Blueprint is a chance to carve out a brighter, bolder future for all Malaysian children—an ambitious mandate, but an inspiring one. It is the responsibility of every single Malaysian to work towards making these aspirations a reality, and it is only through all stakeholders working together that all Malaysian children will get the future they truly deserve.
run-up tO the final blueprint
Once this Blueprint is released, the Ministry will embark on a second round of intensive public consultations to gather feedback through Open Days and roundtable discussions with different stakeholder
EXHIBIT 10
Early results within the coming 12 months early results within the coming 12 months
All 70,000 English teachers assessed against internationally recognised CPT 5,000 of these teachers upskilled
LINUS 2.0 (including English literacy) rolled out to all primary schools
Teacher recruitment bar raised and enforced at IPGs and IPTAs
SISC+ and SiPartners+ programmes expansion to rest of the country completed
Dec 2012
461 full-time SISC+ and SiPartners+ introduced in Kedah and Sabah to provide teachers and principals in Band 5, 6 and 7 schools with tailored, on-the-ground training Parent engagement toolkit rolled out to all 10,000 schools to equip parents to better support children’s learning
Dec 2013
All 10,000 national primary and secondary schools to receive 4G coverage through 1BestariNet rollout All 1,608 schools requiring critical repairs fixed
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Executive Summary
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Overview Of blueprint chapters
There are eight chapters and seven appendices in the Preliminary Blueprint ▪ Chapter 1 lays out the objectives and approach behind the development of the Blueprint; ▪ Chapter 2 outlines a set of new aspirations for the overall Malaysian education system, including aspirations for every Malaysian child; ▪ Chapter 3 contains the detailed analyses on Malaysian student outcomes and establishes the current performance of the education system; ▪ Chapter 4 examines student learning in the Malaysian education system, looking at solutions to effect the changes necessary for the stated aspirations to be achieved. It includes initiatives from Shifts 1, 2, 3 and 6 related to curriculum and assessment, strengthening of language skills, school improvement interventions, and education for students with specific needs; ▪ Chapter 5 explores the roles of teachers and school leaders as the frontline of the Malaysian education system, with a focus on how to improve the quality of and support provided to teachers and school leaders. It addresses initiatives raised in Shifts 4 and 5; ▪ Chapter 6 looks at how the Ministry itself will develop in order to best implement the policies and initiatives laid out in this Blueprint, including by transforming the Ministry’s fundamental approach to human resources and finances to improve delivery capacity and resource productivity. This encompasses the initiatives raised in Shifts 6, 7, 8 and 10; ▪ Chapter 7 examines the structure of the system, and focuses on the phases of education, creating more varied educational pathways to address a broader spectrum of student interests and abilities, developing preschools, and better engaging with parents, local communities and the private sector. It includes initiatives from Shifts 1 and 9; ▪ Chapter 8 outlines the overall transformation programmes, including the sequencing of initiatives between 2013 and 2025 with the ultimate objective of improving student outcomes, raising the professional quality of teachers and school leaders, and revamping the structures of the Ministry and the education system. This chapter includes initiatives from Shift 11 to ensure that the Blueprint delivery is a success; ▪ Appendix I provides a brief overview of the major developments in the education system since the British Colonial period; ▪ Appendix II details out the different sources of inputs drawn on for the Blueprint, from external experts such as UNESCO, OECD and local universities, to the results of the 2012 National Dialogue; ▪ Appendix III maps out how key issues raised during the National Dialogue have been addressed in the Blueprint; ▪ Appendix IV explains the methodology behind the “Universal Scale” used in Chapter 3; ▪ Appendix V provides sample questions from PISA 2009+; ▪ Appendix VI details out all major Blueprint initiatives across each wave of reform; and ▪ Appendix VII highlights the initiatives that have been folded into the GTP2.0 NKRA on Education
Image by amrufm, Flickr CC 2.0
CHAPTER 1
context and
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1. context and approach
Malaysia faces a great challenge. The future success—both socio-cultural and economic—of the nation depends on quickly and significantly improving the outcomes of the nation’s education system. The rakyat are also demanding that initiatives launched by the Government are consistent, well-executed, and deliver on their promised outcomes. It is therefore vital for a partnership of all concerned parties—students, teachers, principals, parents, Ministry officials, and the social and private sectors—to rise to this challenge in new and innovative ways. To this end, based on extensive research, a comprehensive review of the current education system, and significant public engagement and consultation of multiple stakeholder groups, the Ministry has developed this preliminary Blueprint to pave the way towards a better-educated Malaysia.
Education plays a central role in any country’s pursuit of economic growth and national development. There is no better predictor of a nation’s future than what is currently happening in its classrooms. In today’s global economy, a nation’s success depends fundamentally on the knowledge, skills “In order to meet our high and competencies of its aspirations amidst an increasingly people. It is no surprise higher competitive global environment, that nations withtend to education levels we cannot stand still. Our country enjoy greater economic requires a transformation of its prosperity. Education entire education system.” is also fundamental to nation building and unity. YAB Dato’ Seri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak (2012) It provides individuals with the opportunity to improve their lives, become successful members of the community and active contributors to national development. Through interacting with individuals from a range of socio-economic, religious and ethnic backgrounds – and learning to understand, accept and embrace differences – a shared set of experiences and goals for Malaysia’s future can be built. It is through these shared experiences and aspirations that a common national identity and unity is fostered. In recent years, the Malaysian education system has come under increased public scrutiny and debate, as parents’ expectations rise and employers voice their concern regarding the system’s ability to adequately prepare young Malaysians for the challenges of the 21st century. Given the nature of the education system, it will take several years for fundamental changes to be felt. This makes the need for big, bold actions now both important and urgent. This Blueprint is the result of extensive research and public engagement carried out by the Ministry. Based on an understanding of Malaysia’s current position and the challenges it faces, the Blueprint aims t0 establish the vision and aspiration for the Malaysian education system through to 2025 as well as a roadmap of policies and initiatives that will be undertaken in order to achieve these goals.
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Chapter 1 Context and Approach
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Image by esharkj, Flickr CC 2.0 Report (1979), through to the development of a National Education Philosophy (1988) and revised Education Act (1996). Nonetheless, throughout all these changes, achieving access, quality, and equity in terms of student outcomes, unity amongst all students, and by extension system efficiency and effectiveness to deliver these, have remained constant anchors for the system. Further information on major education reports and policies can be found in Appendix I.
Background to the Blueprint
In 1957, Malaysia inherited a fragmented education system; while a select few were educated at elite institutions, over half of the population had never received formal schooling. Unsurprisingly, adult literacy rates hovered at a rather low 52%. The challenge for the young nation was clear: the Government needed to ensure access to education By some measures, Malaysia has clearly succeeded over the past 50 years. The adult literacy rate in 2010 for the population aged 15 for all children. years and above was 92%. There is near-universal primary and lower It was during this period that the Razak Report (1956) and the secondary enrolment, and upper secondary enrolment rates are a Rahman Talib Report (1960) on education were developed in quick respectable 80%. Around two-thirds of students go on to some form of succession. These reports established an ambitious vision for what the post-secondary education or training, from pre-university foundation new nation’s education system would look like. The principles laid out or matriculation programmes to vocational institutions. formed the basis for Malaysia’s first Education Act of 1961. The Cabinet The education system has also consistently produced students and Report (1979) (now popularly known as the Cabinet Committee schools that are comparable to the best internationally. This is Report), was another major milestone that emphasised building a evidenced not only by the number of students that have successfully Malaysian society ready for the future. It envisioned a truly holistic view of education, aiming to develop students intellectually, spiritually, gained entry into top-tier universities abroad, but also by the number of awards that Malaysian schools and students have won at the emotionally, and physically. international level. Exhibit 1-1 provides a number of recent success In the more than five decades since independence, the education stories that span both academic and non-academic pursuits. system has passed through many major milestones, from the Most recently, the Ministry, in partnership with other agencies under introduction of new curricula such as the Primary School Integrated the GTP, has made significant progress in expanding preschool Curriculum or Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Rendah (KBSR) and the Secondary School Integrated Curriculum or Kurikulum Bersepadu enrolment from 67% in 2009 to 77% over the short span of two years. Sekolah Menengah (KBSM) that were developed following the Cabinet The percentage of Year 1 students who are literate has risen from 87%
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EXHIBIT 1-1
examples of Malaysian students’ international achievements
Jul 2012 8th International Exhibition for Young Inventors, Thailand Genius Olympiad 2012 International High School Project Fair on Environment, New York 2nd International Folk Song and Dance Festival, Georgia 5th Asian Schools Badminton Championship, Hong Kong Jun 2012 The Invention and New Product Exposition, USA The Malaysian team won a gold medal for their invention. Two 14-year old students bagged third prize in the competition. The Malaysian team of 15 performers won the Gold and Silver Diploma prizes. The Malaysian team of 16 players won 3 gold medals and 4 silver and bronze medals respectively. The Malaysian team won a gold model in the category of education inventions The Malaysian team of 200 athletes bagged a total of 100 medals, claiming the third spot overall A 17-year-old emerged as the first Malaysian champion.
4th ASEAN School Games, Indonesia May 2012 Oct 2011 Jul 2011 English Speaking Union International Public Speaking Competition, London ASEAN Primary School Sports Olympiad, Indonesia 52nd International Mathematical Olympiad, Netherlands 42nd International Physics Olympiad, Thailand Dec 2010 Nov 2009 International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS)1 World Robot Olympiad (WRO), South Korea
Team of 36 clinched second place overall, winning a total of 6 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze medals. Stellar performance by a Form 4 student who clinched the first gold medal for Malaysia. Another four students attained commendable results. A Malaysian student attained a gold medal and special prize awarded by the European Physics Society. 68 Malaysian students achieved a total of 94 gold medals and were commended as being of world-class standard. Malaysia was the overall champion, a second win in two consecutive years.
1 Australian-based independent diagnostic assessments conducted annually SOURCE: Educational Policy, Planning and Research Division, Sports Division
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Chapter 1 Context and Approach
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in 2010 to 95% by the end of Year 2 in 2011. Further, the percentage of Year 1 students who are numerate also rose from 87% in 2010 to 97% by the end of Year 2 in 2011. These gains offer a clear demonstration that significant and rapid results in education are possible. To achieve the desired outcomes of access, quality, and equity, the Government has consistently directed significant resources towards developing the education system. As early as 1980, Malaysia’s expenditure on primary and secondary education as a percentage of GDP was the highest in East Asia. In 2011, Malaysia’s expenditure, at 3.8% of GDP was higher than the OECD average of 3.4%. It is this commitment to investing in excellent education that has laid the foundation for the education system’s—and the nation’s—many successes. Despite these important achievements and high level of commitment, the changing and increasingly competitive national and international landscape requires a rethink of where Malaysia stands today, and where the nation needs to move forward. Further, there are indicators that the system neecds to be more competitive in today’s changing world. Out of 74 countries participating in PISA 2009+, Malaysia performed in the bottom third for Reading, Mathematics, and Science. This was the first time Malaysia took part in the PISA assessment, and the average Malaysian student performance in all three areas was well below both the international and OECD averages. This statistic is worrying because PISA is an assessment of students’ higher-order thinking skills and ability to solve problems in a real-world setting― vital skills in the 21st century. The Government recognises that the Malaysian education system must continue evolving to keep up with the nation’s increasing aspirations, as well as to keep up with peer countries. Today’s globalised world and economy requires its participants to be critical, creative, and innovative thinkers. To keep up with ever-evolving demands, the rest of the world is constantly improving their approaches to education, and Malaysia must as well. During the National Dialogue to engage and consult with the rakyat on the education system, 98% of more than 3,000 people surveyed felt that the time was either right for a review, or that a review was even overdue.
3. Outlining a comprehensive transformation programme
for the system, including key changes to the Ministry which will allow it to meet new demands and rising expectations, and to ignite and support overall civil service transformation.
the Blueprint developMent approach
The approach to this Blueprint was bold and ground-breaking. Multiple perspectives were gathered from various experts and international agencies to evaluate and assess Malaysia’s education system performance (Exhibit 1-2). This includes the World Bank, UNESCO, and the OECD. The Ministry also consulted related policy documents produced by other agencies, including the Ministry of Higher Education’s 2007-2020 transformation strategy and 20112020 Blueprint on the enculturation of lifelong learning. Finally, the Ministry engaged with the rakyat on a scale never seen before. “How does our education
system compare against other This Blueprint is the outcome of countries? Is what we consider in-depth analyses, interviews, focus groups, surveys and research ‘good’ actually good enough?” conducted with the support of Malaysian and international YAB Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (2011) experts, Ministry officials, teachers, principals, and parents all across Malaysia. In addition, through the National Dialogue conducted between April and July of 2012, almost 12,000 members of the public and different stakeholder groups were engaged for their input and suggestions (Exhibit 1-2). The Blueprint includes action plans and priority interventions for the transformation of the overall education system.
Phase 1 was a comprehensive review and diagnostic of the education system. This phase started with a detailed evaluation of the performance of the Malaysian education system, focusing on student outcomes, assessing the root causes and key drivers for this level of performance, and recognising existing examples of excellence in the education system as models for emulation and replication.
oBjectives of the Blueprint
The Blueprint has been designed to meet the challenges of the 21st century, building on the foundations of the previous seminal reports and policies, and focusing on ways to develop and further pave the way for the education system’s continuous growth and improvement. To that end, the Blueprint is based around three specific objectives:
1. Understanding the current performance and challenges
of the Malaysian school system, with a focus on improving access to education, raising standards (quality), closing achievement gaps (equity), and promoting unity amongst students and maximising system efficiency; system and individual students over the next 13 years through to 2025; and
▪ Student Outcomes: In order to establish the current level of performance by the education system, the Blueprint focused on the five dimensions of access, quality, equity, unity, and efficiency, which have been consistent objectives of previous national education policies, starting with the Razak Report (1956), continuing with the Education Acts of 1961 and 1996, to the more recent Education Development Master Plan 2006-2010. These analyses are based on both national data and international benchmarks available on Malaysian student outcomes; ▪ Key Drivers: The Blueprint aims to understand the root causes of Malaysian student outcomes, evaluating key drivers and causes of student performance such as teacher quality, school leadership, and parental and community involvement. The Blueprint also covers standards in curriculum and assessment, with a focus on comparing Malaysia against international benchmarks. Finally, the
2. Establishing a clear vision and aspirations for the education
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EXHIBIT 1-2
sources of input for development of the preliminary Blueprint
12 Malaysian Review Panel members 4 International Review Panel members 6 Public universities 9 Education Labs
FOCUS GROUPS, WORKSHOPS, SURVEYS NATIONAL DIALOGUE TOWNHALLS, ROUNDTABLES, FOCUS GROUPS, SURVEYS
750 15,000 22,000 300
UNESCO
SOURCE: Project Management Office, Ministry of Education
Principals Teachers Students JPN/ PPD Officers
8,000 2,000 2,000
Teachers PIBG members Members of the public
including ministry, state and district officers … across every state
TIMSS
World Bank
PISA
Blueprint evaluates important implementation elements such as the organisation and delivery capacity of the Ministry itself across federal, state, and district levels, as well as how to ensure resources allocated towards developing basic infrastructure in the education system are used efficiently and effectively; and ▪ Examples of Excellence: Over the course of developing the Blueprint, numerous instances of schools and districts across the nation that have achieved outstanding results and shown dramatic improvements were identified. These examples show that excellence does exist across the system, and that there are many opportunities
to learn from within. The Blueprint therefore does not just pinpoint issues and gaps, but also seeks to identify, highlight, and understand these good practices and successes that exist within the education system today for replication and emulation. All of these efforts were conducted with a focus on ensuring the rigour and breadth of the Blueprint’s approach, while validating the results against international standards. The Blueprint incorporated primary analyses on national and international data, as well as more than 150 detailed studies conducted by the Ministry and international educational organisations over the past 10 years.
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▪ Fieldwork at both urban and rural schools was conducted to understand actual issues on the ground. This included island schools in Semporna, Orang Asli schools in Selangor, schools with a majority of students from indigenous and other minority groups in Keningau, fully residential schools in Terengganu, religious pondok schools in Kedah, as well as vocational schools, schools with Special Education Integration Programmes (SEIP), and independent Chinese schools in Johor. These were chosen as a representative mix of student performance levels, student population sizes, sociocultural contexts, and geographical zones; and ▪ Face-to-face interviews, focus groups, and workshops were conducted across Malaysia with more than 200 principals, 200 teachers, 300 federal, state, and district officials from the Ministry, and 100 parents in attendance. A nationwide survey of nearly 570 principals, nearly 15,000 teachers, and over 22,000 students was also launched to provide additional quantitative data. This does not include approximately 14,000 interviewees and survey respondents in the fieldwork conducted by the public universities. The findings from these workstreams were then triangulated against several independent sources: ▪ Research conducted in 2011 by six public universities on the quality of curriculum and assessment, teaching and learning, teachers and principals, human resource management, governance and management, infrastructure development, policy planning and implementation, and school structure and type; ▪ A 2011-2012 review by UNESCO (The Malaysia Education Policy Review) on the quality of curriculum development and implementation (with a focus on Mathematics and Science), student assessment and examination, ICT in education, technical vocational education and training , teacher education, and planning and management; and ▪ A 2011 review by the World Bank (The Public Expenditure Review), on public education expenditure, including the effectiveness and efficiency of resource use. Critically, all findings from the different workstreams were reviewed by a Taskforce comprising the Ministry’s senior leadership (further information on the Taskforce structure and members can be found in Appendix II). Phase 2 was focused on developing this preliminary Education Blueprint, by building upon the findings from Phase 1 to identify a set of priority areas and detailing a comprehensive transformation programme of policies and initiatives to be undertaken over the next 13 years, between 2013 and 2025. This phase incorporated input generated from the National Dialogue and the GTP2.0 education labs. ▪ National Dialogue: In April 2012, the Ministry launched a National Dialogue to gather the rakyat’s feedback and input on
education. This Dialogue signified a bold move towards engaging existing and future generations of parents, teachers and students. A panel headed by Tan Sri Dato’ Dr. Wan Mohd. Zahid Mohd. Noordin chaired 16 townhalls (held in Putrajaya, Perak, Kedah, Sabah (2 locations), Sarawak (2 locations), Labuan, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Selangor, Penang, Pahang, Kelantan, Terengganu, and Johor) attended by almost 12,000 members of the general public and 20 roundtable sessions with 325 participants. School visits were conducted to solicit feedback directly from primary and secondary school students. Members of the public also had the opportunity to submit ideas and feedback through the MyEduReview online portal, Facebook, and Twitter. Over 150 memoranda were submitted to the Ministry and a total of over 7,000 recommendations were received through these various channels. This unprecedented and intimate level of interaction with all concerned parties was vital in providing the Ministry with multiple, nuanced perspectives from members of many different demographics. Their concerns and many of the good ideas raised during these sessions (please refer to Appendix III for further details) have been reflected in the Blueprint; and ▪ GTP2.0 Education Labs: The planning for the next phase of the GTP was deliberately dovetailed with that of the Blueprint to ensure alignment in priorities and actions. To that end, the GTP2.0 initiatives which will run from 2013 to 2015 will form part of the first wave of the Blueprint reform which spans the entirety of the timeframe of 2013-2025. These initiatives will be delivered jointly with PEMANDU. To establish the initiatives, a series of education labs focusing on developing solutions in priority areas such as teachers, principals, school improvement, curriculum and assessment, and infrastructure were held over a period of two months. Approximately 90 members from the Ministry and related ministries (such as the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Human Resources, Ministry of Higher Education and the Ministry of Women, Family, and Community Development) were involved on a full-time basis. Additionally, ideas were syndicated extensively with practicing teachers, principals, district and state officers, as well as with the teacher unions, principal associations and PIBGs. The Ministry reviewed all of the suggestions from the National Dialogue and Labs carefully, and integrated them into the Blueprint based on four criteria. Firstly, any action undertaken had to contribute to the system and student aspirations described above. This meant that initiatives that delivered one outcome at the expense of another, or that would lead to a different end-state were deprioritised. Secondly, the Ministry drew on international evidence to identify and prioritise the factors that make the most difference in system and student improvement. Thirdly, the proposals had to be relevant to the system’s starting point and be within the Ministry’s ability to deliver. Initiatives were thus sequenced to evolve in complexity as the capabilities and capacity of the Ministry officers, teachers, and principals were developed. Fourthly, the benefits of implementing the proposal had to outweigh the financial and operational downsides.
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Phase 3 will focus on finalising the Blueprint. This will primarily involve wide-ranging consultation and engagement with teachers, parents, students and other stakeholders to gather feedback on the preliminary Blueprint. This feedback will be incorporated into the final version of the Blueprint. ▪ Extensive public consultation: Once this Blueprint is released, the Ministry will embark on a second round of intensive public consultations to gather feedback from different stakeholder groups to incorporate into the final Blueprint. The Ministry will hold several Open Days across Malaysia and repeat the roundtable sessions with selected stakeholder groups; and ▪ Submission of the Final Blueprint: By mid-December 2012, the Ministry will have consolidated all feedback, incorporated it, and submitted the Final Blueprint to the Cabinet. Throughout this process, the Ministry’s efforts are informed by the independent input and suggestions of a Malaysian and an International Review Panel. Feedback was gathered from these members through a combination of face-to-face interactions (such as full day workshops, one-on-one interviews) and video-conference meetings. A full list of the panel members has been included in Appendix II.
overview of the Blueprint
Education reform is at the top of the agenda of every nation in the world, and Malaysia needs to prioritise the continued development of its education system in order to be able to compete globally. The research shows that, overall, Malaysia has done well in the past 50 years in expanding access to education and raising standards in terms of adult literacy and participation in schooling. However, looking a little deeper, the picture is more complex. Variation in performance and capacity across Malaysia’s states, districts, and schools exists today. While there are remarkable examples of excellent schools and districts across the nation, there are still performance gaps that need to be addressed. The next seven chapters of the Blueprint will examine and address these issues, and pinpoint steps to move forward: ▪ Chapter 2 outlines a set of new aspirations for the overall Malaysian education system, including aspirations for every Malaysian child; ▪ Chapter 3 contains a detailed analyses of Malaysian student outcomes and establishes the current performance of the education system;
▪ Chapter 4 examines student learning in the Malaysian education ▪ Malaysian Review Panel: A total of 12 leading Malaysians system, looking at solutions to effect the changes necessary for the from a cross-section of professional backgrounds and the public stated aspirations to be achieved. Areas of focus are curriculum and and private sectors were assembled, under the leadership of Tan assessment, strengthening of language skills, school improvement Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli bin Abdul Razak, Vice-Chancellor of Albukhary interventions, special needs education, education for indigenous International University. The panel debated topical issues and other minority groups, and education for gifted students; (including many raised through the National Dialogue), reviewed an early draft of the document, and provided independent suggestions ▪ Chapter 5 explores the roles of teachers and school leaders as the on potential policy shifts and ideas for consideration by the frontline of the Malaysian education system, with a focus on how to Ministry. The panel will also review the preliminary Blueprint and improve the quality of and support provided to teachers and school submit a final round of feedback; and leaders; ▪ International Review Panel: Similarly, four leading global ▪ Chapter 6 looks at how the Ministry itself will develop in order to educationists were assembled as the International Review best implement the policies and initiatives laid out in this Blueprint, Panel. These educationists reviewed the diagnostic findings and including by transforming the Ministry’s fundamental approach transformation initiatives, and provided their perspectives based on to human resources and finances to improve delivery capacity and Malaysia’s starting point and challenges. The panel members will resource productivity; also travel to Malaysia to conduct detailed workshops and site visits in Q4 2012 and will provide feedback before the finalisation of the ▪ Chapter 7 examines the structure of the system, and focuses on Blueprint at the end of 2012. the phases of education, creating more varied educational pathways to address a broader spectrum of student interests and abilities, The Blueprint also examined lessons from the most improved school developing preschools, and better engaging with parents, local systems worldwide which have demonstrated significant, widespread, communities and the private sector; and and sustained improvements in student outcomes over time. As part of the process, the Ministry examined international data, analyses, and ▪ Chapter 8 outlines the overall transformation programmes, benchmarking approaches from leading international sources such as including the sequencing of initiatives between 2013 and 2025 with PISA and TIMSS to provide a robust methodology for understanding the ultimate objective of improving student outcomes, raising the and comparing Malaysia’s school system standards and performance professional quality of teachers and school leaders, and revamping with that of other countries. Appendix II provides further details on the structures of the Ministry and the education system. This the methodology behind the development of the Blueprint. chapter also covers the delivery requirements needed to ensure that the Blueprint is a success.
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Chapter 1 Context and Approach
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The Ministry acknowledges how important education is in providing a foundation for nation building and sustainable economic growth in line with Malaysia’s goal of transforming into a high-income nation. The Ministry also recognises that the education system must undergo more extensive and systematic transformation if Malaysia is to produce individuals that are able to thrive and compete globally. The Blueprint therefore provides not just an examination of the current education system and its successes and shortcomings, but also a comprehensive plan to move forward towards a better, world-class education.
CHAPTER 2
vision and
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2. vision and aspirations
Every education system must be anchored to a set of aspirations that are closely tied to its particular national context. Although there are many different perspectives on what would make Malaysia’s education system great, almost all stakeholders agree that Malaysia’s education system must do much better if it is to live up to the ambitions of all Malaysians. This chapter addresses two aspects regarding the future of the education system: it imagines what Malaysia’s school system would look like once it is successfully transformed, and what the hopes and aspirations are for each individual Malaysian child.
The state of the education system today is the best predictor of Malaysia’s competitiveness tomorrow. As outlined in the New Economic Model and the 10th Malaysia Plan, Malaysia’s push from middle-income to high-income status will need to be fuelled more by talent—particularly that of leaders and knowledge workers—than by any other input (such as unskilled labour or capital). Furthermore, globalisation demands that Malaysia’s talent needs to compete with the best internationally. It is therefore imperative for Malaysia to have a globally-competitive education system that produces globallycompetitive talent.
SyStem ASpirAtionS
There are five outcomes that the Blueprint aspires to for the Malaysian education system: access, quality, equity, unity, and efficiency (Exhibit 2-1). These aspirations have emerged from the body of historical Education Reports, remaining as relevant today as when they were first conceived in the Malaysian context.
In 1956, the Razak Report envisioned a national education system that guaranteed access to a place in school for all children regardless of ethnicity or socio-economic background, and that provided all children with a learning environment that celebrated unity through an Malaysia is therefore at a critical juncture. The country requires a appreciation of our nation’s diversity. In 1979, the Cabinet Committee fundamental transformation of its basic education system in order Report reiterated Malaysia’s goals for its education system, with a to realise its ambitions. This transformation will be grounded by focus on educating students holistically, and preparing a nation for ambitious and clear objectives that reflect the country’s requirements the future to come. Most recently, the Education Development Master for talent, while considering Malaysia’s unique context and strengths. Plan (2006-2010) aimed to enhance the effectiveness of the system Importantly, these aspirations need to be shared by all stakeholders— by improving access, quality, equity, and unity, and to deliver these not just by the Government, the Cabinet, and the Ministry, but also by outcomes as efficiently as possible so as to maximise the returns on parents, the community, employers, and the students themselves. For the resources invested. These five outcomes are also in line with the this Blueprint, the Ministry took innovative steps towards engaging aspirations articulated by participants during the National Dialogue. every corner of Malaysian society via a National Dialogue, showing a renewed commitment towards ensuring that perspectives of the rakyat Action across all five areas is important and no initiative in one area should detract from or undermine progress in another. would be heard. In fact, education-related aspirations was one of the most popular topics discussed during the National Dialogue, covering 15% of all comments. The aspirations for the transformation of the education system comprise two aspects: firstly, those for the education system as a whole, and secondly, those for individual students.
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Chapter 2 Vision and Aspirations
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“The purpose of education in Malaysia is to enable Malaysian society to have a command of the knowledge, skills, and values necessary in a world that is highly competitive and globalised, arising from the impact of rapid development in science, technology, and information.”
Preamble to the Education Act (1996)
Access to Success
Every child in Malaysia, regardless of wealth, ethnicity or background, deserves equal access to a quality education that will enable the student to achieve his or her potential. Building upon the principle of Education for All, part of the Millennium Development Goals, the Malaysian education system aspires to ensure universal access and full enrolment of all children from preschool through to the upper secondary (Form Five) level, whether through the academic pathway or equivalent vocational and technical pathways. This commitment includes both proactively reaching out to those children currently not attending school, as well as ensuring that these students complete schooling to minimum acceptable standards, namely passing the six core subjects of Bahasa Malaysia, English language, Mathematics, Science, History and Islamic Education or Moral Education at the end of Form 5. Achieving universal enrolment would put Malaysia at par with other developed nations. It will also help increase the percentage of students entering some form of post-secondary education in academic institutions such as universities, colleges, polytechnics, vocational institutions, or in structured skills training programmes.
the national Education philosophy
The National Education Philosophy for Malaysia, written in 1988 and revised in 1996, enshrines the Ministry’s and Government’s vision of education as a means for the holistic development of all children: intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
Quality of a High international Standard
All students will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education that is uniquely Malaysian and comparable to high-performing education systems. This will require that Malaysia’s education system embark upon a path of improvement that will move it rapidly towards great performance, as benchmarked against other countries by international standards. This includes standards for disciplines such as Mathematics, Science, and English language, and for higher-order thinking skills such as reasoning, applying, and problem-solving. The aspiration is for Malaysia to be in the top third of countries in terms of performance in international assessments as measured by outcomes in TIMSS and PISA within 15 years. Additional assessments that address other dimensions of quality that are relevant to the Malaysian context may be included as they are developed and become accepted international standards. Achieving this goal will require enormous commitment from the entire nation. In the past decade, very few school systems have managed to make such a step-change in performance. However, several of the world’s top-performing school systems, such as Singapore and South Korea, have demonstrated that it is possible for a system to go from poor to great performance within a few decades. Likewise, the most improved school systems across the world, such as those of Boston (USA), Ontario (Canada), and Armenia, have
“Education in Malaysia is an on going effort towards further developing the potential of individuals in a holistic and integrated manner, so as to produce individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, and physically balanced and harmonious, based on a firm belief in and devotion to God. Such an effort is designed to produce Malaysian citizens who are knowledgeable and competent, who possess high moral standards and who are responsible and capable of achieving high levels of personal well-being as well as being able to contribute to the harmony and betterment of the family, the society, and the nation at large.”
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consistently demonstrated that it is possible to make substantial improvements in student outcomes in as little as six years. It is the Ministry’s intention for Malaysia to join this select list of high performers. Indeed, if Malaysia is able to move from the bottom third to top third of countries on international assessments in 15 years, Malaysia will be one of the fastest-improving systems in the world.
equity for All Students
The best school systems deliver the best possible education for every student, regardless of ethnicity, geographical location, or socio-economic background. The education system envisioned for Malaysia is one where all students—regardless of who their parents are, or where they study— will be equipped with the tools they need to unlock their own future. The Malaysian school system aspires to halve the socio-economic, urban-rural and gender achievement gaps in student outcomes by 2020. The reduction of the socio-economic and urban-rural gap is expected to also impact corresponding achievement gaps between states and school types. Achieving this reduction would make Malaysia one of the more equitable systems in the world. The education system will actively support social mobility by providing additional support to those who are at a disadvantage, thereby ensuring that a student’s socio-economic background will no longer be the biggest driver of whether or not he or she succeeds in life. The system also aspires to provide access to alternative, attractive pathways to education such as vocational education, to provide opportunities for students of diverse interests and abilities to develop their talents. This push for greater choice and flexibility in the education system is in line with feedback from the National Dialogue. Similarly, it is acknowledged that there are student segments within the school-going population in Malaysia with specific needs who require even more support. To this end, the Ministry will provide greater support and programmes for students with special needs, indigenous and other minority (IOM) groups, as well as “gifted” students, to allow them to achieve their fullest potential.
tiMss and pisa international assessments tiMss is an international assessment based on the Mathematics and Science curricula of schools around the world. It assesses students in Grades 4 (the Malaysian equivalent is Year 4) and 8 (the Malaysian equivalent is Form 2) along two aspects: content such as algebra and geometry, and cognitive skills, namely the thinking processes of knowing, applying, and reasoning. The test was first administered in 1995. Today, over 59 countries participate in the assessment which is conducted every four years. Malaysia has participated in TIMSS since 1999, although only with Form 2 students. pisa, co-ordinated by the OECD, is another widely recognised international assessment. Conducted every three years, PISA aims to evaluate proficiency in Reading, Mathematics, and Science in students aged 15 years old. Its focus is not on curriculum content, but on students’ ability to apply their knowledge in real-world settings. Participant countries extend beyond OECD members, with 74 countries taking part in the most recent assessment in 2009. Malaysia participated for the first time in 2010, as part of the 2009 PISA assessment cycle.
Fostering Unity among Students
Since independence, one of Malaysia’s core aspirations as a uniquely diverse nation has been to foster unity. Highly diverse nations that embrace this diversity and prioritise social and systemic inclusiveness exhibit greater unity. International research from the OECD indicates that such greater unity is associated with healthier populations, safer communities, and higher rates of employment. As students spend over a quarter of their time in school from the ages of 7 to 17 (Exhibit 2-2), schools are in a key position to foster unity. Through interacting with individuals from a range of socio-economic, religious and ethnic backgrounds — and learning to understand, accept and embrace differences — a shared set of experiences and aspirations for Malaysia’s future can be built. It is through these shared experiences and aspirations that a common national identity and unity is forged.
Internationally, there are no definitive measures of unity. However, to enable better tracking of progress, the Ministry will launch an annual student survey to assess indicators of unity, including degree of general trust among different ethnic groups, extent of racial and religious tolerance, and social interaction between students of different ethnic groups.
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Chapter 2 Vision and Aspirations
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EXHIBIT 2-1
Five system aspirations for the malaysian education system
Access Quality Equity Unity Efficiency
100% enrolment across all levels from preschool to upper secondary by 2020 Top third of countries in international assessments such as PISA and TIMSS in 15 years 50% reduction in achievement gaps (urban-rural, socio-economic, gender) by 2020 An education system that gives children shared values and experiences by embracing diversity
A system which maximises student outcomes within current budget
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EXHIBIT 2-2
Time spent by students while awake
Percent of hours, students aged 7-17
and values; and a strong sense of national identity. These elements also highlight the focus on enabling all students to contribute meaningfully to their families, to society, and to the nation.
Knowledge
School
27
73
At the most basic level, every student needs to be fully literate and numerate. This equips them with basic life skills, and enables them to function effectively in society so that they can create value for themselves, their community, and the nation. In addition, it is important that students master core subjects like Bahasa Malaysia, English language, Mathematics, Science, and History. To be well-rounded, students will be encouraged to be informed and knowledgeable in other areas such as the arts, music and sports. Beyond just acquiring this knowledge, it is important that every student has the ability to apply this knowledge in day-to-day situations.
Home & community
1 Based on 42 weeks in school and average of 5.5 hours in school per day, 2 hours compulsory co-curricular activities per week, 8 hours sleep per day SOURCE: Ministry of Education sample student timetables (2011); Improving Health and Social Cohesion through Education (2010), Centre for Education Research and Education (OECD)
thinking skills
Every student needs to possess a spirit of inquiry and learn how to continue acquiring knowledge throughout their lives, to be able to connect different pieces of knowledge, and, most important of all in a knowledge-based economy, to create new knowledge. Every student needs to master a range of important cognitive skills:
Delivering with Greater efficiency
Malaysia’s consistently high level of expenditure on education relative ▪ Creative Thinking and Innovation: the ability to innovate, to to its federal budget is indicative of the Government’s commitment to generate new possibilities, and to create new ideas or knowledge; education. These expenditure levels have resulted in almost universal access to primary and lower secondary education and relatively high upper secondary enrolments, but there remains room for improvement ▪ Problem-solving and reasoning: the ability to anticipate problems and approach issues critically, logically, inductively, on the other dimensions of quality, equity, and unity. Consequently, and deductively in order to find solutions, and ultimately make returns (in the form of student outcomes) must be maximised for every decisions; and ringgit spent. As the Ministry strives towards delivering the education system aspirations, execution will be done responsibly and will pay ▪ Learning Capacity: the ability to independently drive one’s own heed to efficient and effective deployment of public resources so as to learning, coupled with the appreciation of the value of lifelong maximise student outcomes within the given budget. The Government learning. is also committed to maintaining the current level of investment in the system of approximately 16% of the annual federal budget. This is an area where the system has historically required more improvement, resulting in students being less able than they should be in applying knowledge and thinking critically outside of familiar academic contexts. Consequently, it is more important than ever for the The Malaysian education system aspires to ensure that every student in education system to help every student to acquire these thinking skills. every school in every state achieves their full potential. Each and every school leader, teacher, parent, and the community has an important Leadership skills role to play in ensuring that the young people in their charge are moving towards these aspirations. Being able to work effectively with and lead others is critical, especially
StUDent ASpirAtionS
The Blueprint will continue to use the National Education Philosophy’s vision of a balanced education as its foundation for individual student aspirations. This is in line with the feedback from the National Dialogue . It has also drawn on learnings from high-performing systems to develop a refined articulation of the specific attributes and competencies that students will need to succeed and thrive in an increasingly globalised world. Accordingly, the National Education Philosophy’s vision of a balanced education is reflected in six elements (Exhibit 2-3). The emphasis is not just on the importance of knowledge, but also on developing critical, creative, and innovative thinking skills; leadership skills; proficiency in Bahasa Malaysia and the English language; character
in our increasingly inter-connected world. In the National Dialogue, the importance of instilling leadership and the ability to work effectively in teams for every student was consistently raised. The education system seeks to help every student reach their full potential by taking on leadership roles, and by working in groups. In the context of the education system, leadership comprises four elements: ▪ Entrepreneurship: taking the initiative to create and develop one’s own solutions, the willingness to invest one’s own resources in doing so, and the drive to see these through to their realisation; ▪ Resilience: developing a mindset that is both constructive and able to withstand setbacks;
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Attributes and aspirations for every student
EXHIBIT 2-3
Attributes and aspirations for every student
Every student will have …
Image by MOE
L eadership skills Thinking skills K nowledge
B ilingual proficiency E thics and spirituality
National identity
… aligned with the National Education Philosophy
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▪ Emotional intelligence: possessing the ability to understand and work effectively with others and to influence them positively; and ▪ Strong communication skills: possessing the ability to clearly express one’s opinions and intentions in oral and written form. Schools will need to make use of the opportunities provided inside the classroom through project-based and group work, and outside of the classroom though sports, the arts, and co-curricular activities to build the character of their students.
Bilingual proficiency
Every student will be proficient in Bahasa Malaysia as the national language and in English as a second language and the international language of communication Every student will also ideally have the opportunity to learn an additional language. Malaysia’s unique diversity and multicultural heritage provides a competitive advantage to all. Therefore, over time, all students of all ethnicities and communities will be encouraged to learn at least three languages (Bahasa Malaysia, English language, and another language like Chinese language, Tamil, Arabic, Iban, Kadazan Dusun, etc.), allowing them to collaborate and communicate effectively with fellow Malaysians and Malaysia’s neighbours in today’s rapidly globalising world.
ethics and Spirituality
The education system will prepare every student to rise to the challenges they will inevitably face in adult life, to resolve conflicts peacefully, to employ sound judgment during critical moments, and to have the courage to do what is right. The emphasis will be on every student establishing a set of principles that includes strong shared values held in common by all Malaysians: ▪ Spirituality: to be strong in one’s beliefs as the foundation for living and to espouse high moral standards; ▪ Integrity: to possess the courage, the discipline, and the will to do the right thing; and ▪ Civic responsibility: to act for the good of the entire nation, to care for others and the environment around them, and to possess a deep capacity for social contribution.
national identity
An unshakeable sense of national identity, tied to the principles of the Rukunegara, is necessary for Malaysia’s future and to foster unity. Every student will identify themselves proudly as Malaysians, irrespective of ethnicity, beliefs, socio-economic status or geographical location. Achieving this patriotism requires a strong sense of inclusiveness, acquired through learning to understand and tolerate difference, to accept and respect others, as well as to live together and embrace the diversity within the Malaysian community. A common national identity also requires all students to understand Malaysia’s history, develop shared experiences in and out of school, and build shared aspirations for Malaysia’s future.
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Chapter 2 Vision and Aspirations
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There are five outcomes that the Blueprint aspires for the Malaysian education system as a whole, access, quality, equity, unity, and efficiency. These outcomes are in line with the aspirations articulated by participants during the National Dialogue, and are comparable to outcomes achieved by high-performing education systems. Beyond these system-wide outcomes, the Blueprint will also continue to use the National Education Philosophy’s vision of a balanced education as its aspiration for individual students. A solid combination of knowledge, thinking skills, leadership skills, bilingual proficiency, ethics and spirituality, and national identity are critical in preparing students to succeed and thrive in an increasingly globalised world.
CHAPTER 3
current
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3. current performance
The examination of the performance of the Malaysian education system begins with an analysis of how students have fared over time, and in comparison with other countries, along the system outcomes of access, quality, equity, unity, and efficiency. This chapter provides a clear and objective fact base, in order to establish a performance baseline for the Malaysian education system. It paints a picture of a nation with a great diversity of schools at different performance levels, some of which shine brightly as examples of excellence, deserving further study to understand successful practices.
The critical outcomes of access, quality, equity, unity, and efficiency in the Malaysian education system are the main focus areas for this Blueprint. These outcomes have been highlighted as priorities as far back as the Razak Report (1956) and have been consistently reinforced in subsequent reports and strategic plans, through to the most recent Education Development Master Plan (2006-2010). Only by critically examining and establishing where Malaysia currently stands in relation to achieving these five outcomes, can the Ministry and the nation begin to move towards building a more effective education system.
rates at the primary and secondary level have plateaued, remaining lower than that of high-performing education systems. This suggests that more effort needs to be made to enroll the hardest-to-reach population of children.
The education system has made tremendous progress since Malaysia’s independence in 1957, when very few children had access to education. At that time, more than half of the population had never had any formal schooling, only 6% of the people had received secondary level schooling, and only 1% had attained a post-secondary education. Today, access to education has been transformed beyond recognition. This has been acknowledged by the World Bank (2011) and the United Ensuring that all children in Malaysia have access to Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (2005), which attribute Malaysia’s success in achieving universal primary education to many the educational opportunities provided in the country factors including the Government’s early investment in education has been a key objective of the education system since to ensure all children have access to it, the political will to have the independence. There are two elements in “access”: the first involves getting students into seats in schools, and the institutional and policy framework in place, and commitment by all second requires students to remain in school long enough stakeholders.
ACCESS TO EDUCATION
to achieve a minimum level of schooling. Malaysia’s education system should rightly celebrate its exceptional success in raising the levels of access to education in Malaysia. Since independence, the country has achieved near-universal primary and lower secondary enrolment, while participation in preschool and upper-secondary education has also reached relatively high levels. Although the country has come a long way in terms of getting students into schools, challenges remain. Enrolment
Near-universal access has been achieved at the primary and lower secondary levels
Malaysia has achieved near-universal enrolment at the primary level at 96% (all enrolment rates are for public schools and private schools registered with the Ministry). The attrition rate (the percentage of students who drop out of primary school) has been reduced in recent years from 3% in 1989, to around 0.2% in 2011. Enrolment rates at the lower secondary level have reached 91%.
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Chapter 3 Current Performance
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EXHIBIT 3-1
Profile of the Malaysian education system
As of 30 June 2011
RM 37 Bn1
16% of total 2011 federal budget
Preschool
Total enrolment2 Public system Enrolment No. of students No. of schools No. of teachers Student-teacher ratio Average class size
Primary
Secondary
77%
42% 0.43 Mn 15,6274 17,899 24.0 23.6
96%
94% 2.86 Mn 7,714 227,098 13.4 29.4
86%
83%3 2.22 Mn3 2,218 177,382 13.1 29.8
1 Includes operating and development expenditure; excludes the additional RM12 billion allocated to the Ministry of Higher Education and other agencies providing education-related services 2 Includes enrolment into private schools 3 Excludes enrolment in post-secondary education 4 Public preschools refer to preschools operated by the Ministry of Education, KEMAS, and the National Unity Department Note: The rest of this preliminary Blueprint will report approximate numbers for students (5.4 mn), schools (10,000), teachers (410,000), and principals (10,000) Source: Malaysia Educational Statistics (2011)
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EXHIBIT 3-2
Enrolment rates at public primary and secondary schools
Percent (1983-2011)
2011
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008
Primary Lower Secondary Upper Secondary1
2012
1 Upper secondary schools include vocational and technical schools SOURCE: Malaysia Education Statistics (2011); Educational Policy, Planning and Research Division (historical publications)
The greatest improvement has undoubtedly been at the upper secondary level, where enrolment rates have almost doubled in recent decades, rising from 45% in the 1980s to 81% today (Exhibit 3-2). This means that 81% of every cohort now completes at least 11 years of schooling. Automatic progression of students was also instituted with the goal of addressing the inefficiency of repeating class years and to reduce dropout rates.
aged 4+ to 5+ are enrolled in some form of preschool education (either public or private) as of the end of 2011, a dramatic increase from 67% in 2009. Still, the government is pushing towards universal enrolment through the Education NKRA as part of the GTP launched in 2009. The significantly improved access to education for Malaysians is accompanied with a similar improvement in attainment over the past 30 years. Malaysia has delivered highly impressive improvements across many measures. At the most basic level, the youth literacy rate has risen from 88% in 1980 to near-universal literacy today of 99%, while the adult literacy rate has increased even more significantly, rising from less than 70% to over 92% today. The corollary of this is that the proportion of the adult population (aged 15 and above) with no schooling has declined from 60% in 1950 to less than 10% in 2010, while the proportion that has completed at least secondary education has risen from around 7% in 1950 to more than 75% in 2010 (Exhibit 3-3).
“During the five-plus decades since independence, there has been a dramatic improvement in access to education.”
In parallel, there has been rapid expansion of preschool education. Early childcare and associated development activities have been an explicit part of the government’s agenda since 2000 when it signed on as a signatory to the UNESCO World Bank (2011) Education For All declaration. As a result, around 77% of children
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Chapter 3 Current Performance
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EXHIBIT 3-3
Educational attainment of population aged 15 and above (1950-2010)
Percent of population
Tertiary Secondary Primary No Schooling
6
1
7
1
10
2
2 13
2
2
3
6
19
8
9
10
24
13
15
33
31
35
38
39
39
41
51
43
56
41
59
61
38 33 39 26 13 1995
60
56
50
44
37
32
22 12 2000
28 1980
18 10 2005
21 1985
15 9 2010
15 1990
1950
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
SOURCE: Barro and Lee, 2010 (Eurostat, UN)
All of this improvement has been driven by the government’s increased commitment to financially supporting the development and growth of all school communities. Since 1981, the Ministry has supported the development of schools around Malaysia at the rate of 1% each year, dramatically increasing student access to education. This means that there were 2,000 more schools in 2010 than there were in 1980. Similarly, the Ministry has put hundreds of millions of ringgit towards programmes specifically designed to help economically disadvantaged students. These programmes include initiatives to provide for students’ nutritional needs such as the Supplementary Food Programme or Rancangan Makanan Tambahan (RMT), and to reduce the financial burden of schooling on parents, for example through the KWAPM. The Ministry also has programmes for students with special needs and dedicated Orang Asli and Penan primary schools.
While access to basic education is strong, the 2011 UNESCO review on Malaysian education policy highlighted a concern that primary education enrolment has not continued to grow, in contrast with the most developed countries in the region such as South Korea and Japan which have participation rates of close to 100%. The UNESCO review also noted that upper secondary participation rates, while showing a big improvement from several decades past, remain lower than that of developed regional peers like Japan and South Korea, where enrolment consistently exceeds 90%. As the system has capacity to accommodate universal access, more effort needs to be made to enroll the 5-10% hardest-to-reach population of children.
3-5
QUAlITy Of EDUCATION
While national examination results indicate that student performance has been improving steadily, it is also imperative that Malaysia compares its education system against international benchmarks. This is to ensure that Malaysia is keeping pace with international educational development. Malaysia’s performance in TIMSS indicates that student performance has fallen from 1999 to 2007. The results of the 2009+ PISA also showed that Malaysia ranked in the bottom third of 74 participating countries, below the international and OECD average. The Ministry believes it is important to further evaluate the outcomes of these assessments to understand any shortfalls in standards.
The quality of an education system encompasses multiple dimensions. The assessment of quality in this chapter focuses largely on the intellectual dimension of academic student outcomes, with the benefit of available and measurable data. It is acknowledged that the numbers alone tell only one side of the story. There are other critical aspects vital to the quality of education such as a student’s spiritual, emotional, and physical development. Nonetheless, children who are unable to master core intellectual skills such as literacy and numeracy, as well as higher-order thinking, will be less likely to succeed in today’s rapidly changing economy and globalised society.
Student performance in national examinations has consistently improved each year. However, in this day and age, internal comparisons are no longer enough to ensure competitiveness on the world stage. Over the past two decades, international assessments have emerged as a way of directly comparing the quality of educational outcomes across different countries and across systems. These assessments concentrate on Mathematics, Science, and Reading, and include an examination of the cognitive skills involved in their effective application. While they paint an incomplete picture of schooling outcomes, they offer insight into the real strengths and weaknesses of important areas of education, including the use of essential skills such as analytical reasoning, application, and capacity for continued learning. In this regard, they provide useful perspectives on Malaysia’s student performance relative to other systems. To gain an understanding of how Malaysia’s students fare, the results of the country’s participation in two major international assessments were examined: TIMSS and PISA.
Student performance in national examinations is improving
Malaysian students’ performance in the three national examinations (UPSR, PMR, and SPM) has shown fairly constant and even improving outcomes. Two common measures used to assess outcomes are the school Grade Point Average or Gred Purata Sekolah (GPS) and percentage of students achieving passing and excellent grades. From 2004, both these measures have shown an improving trend in terms of absolute values across all three national examinations (Exhibit 3-5).
peer groups used in this chapter
Throughout this chapter, three different peer groups have been used in making comparisons between Malaysia and other education systems. While it has not always been possible to get information for each country in every comparison, the constituents of all the category groups (in terms of countries) have been kept constant throughout (Exhibit 3-4). Where OECD or international averages have been available, these have also been included in the comparison groups. Top-performing Asian systems such as South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore Southeast Asian neighbours such as Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore Comparable GDP per capita countries (Purchasing Power Parity (PPP)-adjusted) such as Romania, Mexico, and Chile
EXHIBIT 3-4
Profile of peer countries
Number of schools (unit) Malaysia ASEAN peers Indonesia Thailand Singapore Asian Tigers
South Korea 10,000
Number of students (‘000)
5,400
Number of teachers (‘000)
410
GDP per capita (PPP-adjusted)
14,591
256,460 35,865 356 19,974 1,105 37,581 241,184 10,052 6,439
45,746 10,936 511 7,602 781 14,887 29,854 3,059 2,735
2,748 628 30 469 52 1,050 1,454 170 199
4,325 8,554 57,936 29,004 46,503 33,753 14,498 15,732 14,287
Hong Kong Japan Mexico Chile Romania
Comparable GDP per capita
Note: Education data for basic through pre-tertiary (2010 or latest year available) SOURCE: Ministry of Education; Department of Statistics; World Bank
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Chapter 3 Current Performance
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EXHIBIT 3-5
Malaysian national examination results (2000-2011)
UPSR PMR SPM
Papers graded as pass in national assessments1 Percent of papers graded
92 90 88 86 84 82 80 78 76 74 72 70 2000 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 2011
Papers graded as an A in national assessments Percent of papers graded
35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 2000 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 2011
national examinations
Assessment is an intrinsic part of the teaching and learning process. The Examination Syndicate or Lembaga Peperiksaan (LP) currently conducts three national examinations at the end of primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education. ▪ UPSR: An examination designed as an internal national qualification to mark the completion of primary school. The subjects tested in UPSR include Bahasa Malaysia, English language, Mathematics, and Science for students in SKs. Students at National-type primary schools also sit for Mandarin, Chinese or Tamil language; ▪ PMR: Similar to the UPSR, the PMR is an internal national qualification taken by Form 3 students at the end of lower secondary school. Subjects tested include Bahasa Malaysia, English language, Mathematics, Science, Geography, History, Living Skills, Islamic Education, and Moral Education. A number of optional subjects are also available for examination, such as Mandarin, Tamil, and Arabic. The PMR will be replaced with a school-based assessment system in 2014; and ▪ SPM: The SPM is the national examination taken by all Form 5 students at the end of secondary school. It is deliberately benchmarked and internationally recognised as equivalent to the O-Levels. The examination involves a combination of compulsory subjects: Bahasa Malaysia, English language, Islamic Education (for Muslim students), Moral Studies (for non-Muslim students), History, Mathematics, and Science. There is also a wide number of elective subjects across the fields of Arts and Health, Information and Communication Technology, Languages and Literature, Technical and Vocational, Science and Mathematics, Social Sciences and Religion. In addition to the examinations set by LP, the Malaysian Examinations Council or Majlis Peperiksaan Malaysia (MPM), also under the Ministry, administers the Malaysian Higher School Certificate or Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) and Malaysian Religious Higher Certificate or Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM) for post-secondary education.
1 In UPSR, failing grades are D and E. In PMR, the failing grade is E. In SPM, the failing grade is G9. Note: Data for SPM 2003 is not available and is interpolated SOURCE: Examination Syndicate
The national examination results appear to show absolute improvement in grades over time in the core subjects of Bahasa Malaysia, English, Mathematics, and Science, though there are significant differences in performance in each subject (Exhibit 3-6). Students perform better in Bahasa Malaysia than in English language at all levels. For example, 9% of students failed Bahasa Malaysia in SPM 2011, as compared to 23% for English language. At the other end of the spectrum, 30% of students received an excellent grade in Bahasa Malaysia, as compared to 16% in English language. EXHIBIT 3-6
Comparison of performance in core subjects (2011)
Excellent Average Fail
UPSR1 Percent of all papers
PMR Percent of all papers
SPM Percent of all papers
45
24
37
18
26
26
30
18
19
19
30
32
16
64 44
55 50 68 68 62
60
75
74
61
49
61
11 Bahasa Malaysia
12
13 Mathematics
26
6 Bahasa Malaysia
6
8 Mathematics
21
6 Chemistry2
8 Science
9 Bahasa Malaysia
20 Mathematics
23 English language
English language
1 Weighted average of UPSR results by subject for SK, SJK(C) and SJK(T) 2 Chemistry is generally taken by science stream students while general science is generally taken by arts stream students SOURCE: Examination Syndicate
English language
Science
Science
3-7
Malaysia’s performance in TIMSS
When Malaysia first participated in TIMSS in 1999, the students scored above the international average for Mathematics with 519 points and was ranked 16th out of 38 countries (Exhibit 3-7). The Science score of 492 was also above the international average, although the country was ranked lower at 22nd position (Exhibit 3-8). EXHIBIT 3-7
Malaysia’s performance in TIMSS 8th Grade Mathematics against other countries over three cycles
1 TIMSS 1999 Rank 1 2 3 4 5 Country Singapore Korea Chinese Taipei Hong Kong Japan Score 604 587 585 582 579 2 TIMSS 2003 Rank 1 2 3 4 5 Country Singapore Korea Hong Kong Chinese Taipei Japan Score 605 589 586 585 570 3 TIMSS 2007 Rank 1 2 3 4 5 12 13 Country Chinese Taipei Korea Singapore Hong Kong Japan Score 598 597 593 572 570
Regional peers
…
…
…
16
21 22 27 34 38
MALAYSIA … … …
Indonesia South Africa
519
10
26 27 34
MALAYSIA …
508
Slovenia 501 International Average Armenia 499
…
New Zealand 491 International Average Lithuania Thailand 482 467 403 275
Romania 475 International Average Norway Indonesia 461 411
20
29 36
MALAYSIA …
Thailand
474
441 397
… ……… …
Indonesia
…
1 Excluding 4 non-national (i.e. state-level) benchmarking participants and 1 participant that did not satisfy the guidelines 2 Excluding 7 non-national (i.e. state-level) benchmarking participants and 1 participant that did not satisfy the guidelines SOURCE: TIMSS 1999, 2003, and 2007
EXHIBIT 3-8
Malaysia’s performance in TIMSS 8th Grade Science against other countries over three cycles
1 TIMSS 1999 Rank 1 2 3 4 5 Country Chinese Taipei Singapore Hungary Japan Korea Score 569 568 552 550 549 2 TIMSS 2003 Rank 1 2 3 4 5 Country Singapore Chinese Taipei Korea Hong Kong Estonia Score 578 571 558 556 552 3 TIMSS 2007 Rank 1 2 3 4 5 14 Country Singapore Chinese Taipei Japan Korea England Score 567 561 554 553 542
Regional peers
…
451
…
South Africa
264
482
Qatar
307
comparability of International assessments
Comparability of TIMSS and PISA: As described above, the TIMSS tests focus on elements of the curricula common to participating countries, while the PISA tests focus on applied assessments of real-world problems, irrespective of the curricula of the participating countries. Nonetheless, researchers at Stanford University, USA, have found that the two are highly correlated at the country level—up to 0.87 for Mathematics, and 0.97 for Science. This means that a country that performs well on TIMSS is highly likely to perform well on PISA, and vice versa.
…
…………
…
20
492
497 25 26 36 451
MALAYSIA ……
510
Sweden 511 International Average Scotland 496
15
What is the universal Scale?
In Exhibit 3-15, the TIMSS and PISA scores have been converted to a universal scale (based on methodology developed by Hanushek et. al). This conversion was done to allow for comparison across different subjects, grade levels, and assessments. The universal scale also allows for classification of different countries’ performance into broad groupings of Poor, Fair, Good, Great, and Excellent. For further information, please refer to the Universal Scale section in Appendix IV.
…
19 23 24
22
Germany
MALAYSIA …
21
472 420 244 22 35
MALAYSIA …
Thailand
471
471 427
Lithuania 488 International Average Thailand 482 435 243
Jordan 475 International Average Moldova
…
…
32 38
Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia
South Africa
1 Excluding 4 non-national (i.e. state-level) benchmarking participants and 1 participant that did not satisfy the guidelines 2 Excluding 7 non-national (i.e. state-level) benchmarking participants and 1 participant that did not satisfy the guidelines SOURCE: TIMSS 1999, 2003, and 2007
… …
South Africa
…
482
Ghana
…
303
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Chapter 3 Current Performance
3-8
Malaysia’s performance in the 2003 cycle showed some improvement in achievement. The score for Mathematics fell slightly to 508, although the country remained above the international average and its ranking actually rose to 10th out of 45 countries. Its performance in Science improved by 18 points to 510, well above the international average and ranked 20th out of 45 countries. The 2007 results, however, saw a marked downturn with both Mathematics and Science scores falling below the international average. The Mathematics score fell 34 points to 474 (20th position out of 48 countries). The Science score fell to 471 (21st out of 48 countries). Up to 20% of students in Malaysia did not meet the minimum benchmarks in Mathematics and Science in 2007, a two- to fourfold increase since 2003 (Exhibit 3-9). These students were shown to understand basic Mathematics and Science concepts but generally struggled to apply this knowledge. EXHIBIT 3-9
Comparison of Malaysia’s internal performance on TIMSS (1999-2007)
TIMSS Mathematics scores, 1999-2007 Percent of students
Advanced1
EXHIBIT 3-10
Comparison of Malaysia’s 2007 TIMSS performance against other countries
% of students by performance level in TIMSS Mathematics
4 40 40 31 3 2 2 0
Advanced1 Intermediate Below minimum
% of students by performance level in TIMSS Science
17 10 3 3 3 2 0
48 79 63 80 73
32
77 61 80 82
77
75
75
65
58
57
63
34 52 18 Malaysia 25 Indonesia
2 South Korea
3 Singapore
6 Hong Kong
17 Romania
7 Singapore
3 South Korea
8 Hong Kong
20 Malaysia
20 Thailand
22
23 Romania
35
1 Advanced benchmark: able to organize information, make generalisations, solve non-routine problems and draw and justify conclusions from data Note: Countries arranged by proportion of students in advanced level in descending order SOURCE: TIMSS 2007 for 8th Grade
TIMSS Science scores, 1999-2007 Percent of students
Advanced1 5 4 3
10
6
2
Delving into the TIMSS data provides further insights about the performance of the education system in terms of Mathematics and Science. TIMSS assesses student proficiency across three different types of cognitive skills: knowledge recall, the application of knowledge in solving problems, and the ability to reason in working through problems. Malaysian students did not perform well with regards to any of these three dimensions (Exhibit 3-11). EXHIBIT 3-11
Comparison of TIMSS 2007 student performance along the dimensions of knowledge, application and reasoning
Knowledge Applying Reasoning
Intermediate
83
87
80
Intermediate
82
77 91
Below Minimum2
7 1999
7 2003
18 2007
Below Minimum2
13 1999
5 2003
20 2007
Scores in TIMSS Mathematics TIMSS 2007 score
Scores in TIMSS Science TIMSS 2007 score
1 Advanced: Students can organise information, make generalisations, solve non-routine problems and draw and justify conclusions from data 2 Below minimum: Students have little to no subject knowledge NOTE: The language used in 1999 and 2003 was Bahasa Malaysia. In 2007, it was in both English and Bahasa Malaysia SOURCE: TIMSS 1999, 2003, and 2007
300
Indonesia
400 397 398 405
500
600
600
500 425 426 438
400
Indonesia
Malaysia
A breakdown of student performance in the most recent TIMSS 2007 results in comparison to other systems shows that relatively few of Malaysia’s students are excelling. Only 2-3% of Malaysian students perform at the highest benchmark level, such as complex problemsolving; in comparison, more than 30% of students in Singapore scored at the advanced level in Mathematics and Science (Exhibit 3-10).
477 478 468 574 569 557 581 593 579 596 595 579 532 522 533 543 547 558 554 567 564
458 473 487
Malaysia
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Singapore
South Korea
South Korea
Singapore
SOURCE: TIMSS 2007 for 8th Grade
Indonesia
Thailand
Int’l average
Int’l average
3-9
Malaysia’s performance in PISA 2009+
Malaysia participated in the PISA assessment for the first time in its 2009+ exercise. Out of 74 countries, Malaysia performed in the bottom third for Reading, Mathematics and Science, well below both the international and OECD average in all three areas. In the latest assessment, Malaysia’s performance was at least 100 points below that of regional peers like Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong on all three dimensions (Exhibit 3-12). In PISA, a 38 point difference is the equivalent of one schooling year of learning. This means that 15-year-olds in Malaysia are performing as though they have had three years’ less schooling than 15-year-olds in these countries—the very countries that Malaysia seeks to compete against in today’s knowledge economy. Compared to Shanghai, the world’s bestperforming school system in PISA 2009+, the gap is equivalent to four years of schooling. Almost 60% of Malaysian students failed to meet the minimum benchmarks in Mathematics—the baseline proficiency required for students to participate effectively and productively in life (Exhibit 3-13). Similarly, 44% and 43% of students do not meet minimum proficiency levels in Reading and Science respectively. Please refer to Appendix V for a sample of PISA questions. EXHIBIT 3-13
Comparison of Malaysia’s performance in PISA 2009+ by skill level against the OECD average
Percentage of students at different performance levels on PISA 2009+1 1 Reading Advanced Intermediate 0 2 Mathematics Advanced Intermediate 0 3 Science Advanced Intermediate 0
testing possible factors for malaysia’s performance decline in tImSS
Three factors have been raised as possible reasons for Malaysia’s decline in the TIMSS assessment: the degree to which the content in the national curriculum matches that which is tested in TIMSS, the shift in language policy, and sampling methodology. However, all three are deemed to be unlikely to be a major driver for the following reasons: Incomplete coverage of the concepts assessed in TIMSS by the national curriculum is unlikely to account for the decline. While there has been some drop in the common content between the Mathematics test questions of TIMSS and the national curriculum between 2003 and 2007 (from 98% in 2003 to 75% in 2007 based on the Ministry’s self-assessment), the same cannot be said for Science, where overlap remains high at 90%. Bahasa Malaysia and English language questions were both provided as options in the TIMSS assessments for Malaysia. Therefore results should not have been affected by the language of testing used for TIMSS. The sampling approach is unlikely to be a major driver. The sample of schools tested in TIMSS reflects the overall performance of Malaysia’s schools based on a distribution of schools by national performance band.
8
13
8
56 74
40 65
57 74
Below minimum
44 19 Malaysia OECD average
Below minimum
59 22 Malaysia OECD average
Below minimum
43 18 Malaysia OECD average
1 Advanced includes proficiency level 5 and level 6; Intermediate includes proficiency level 2, 3, and 4; and Below minimum includes proficiency level 1 and below Note: Score is an average of sample of schools in Malaysia: 80% National secondary schools, 3% Religious schools, 4% technical and vocational schools, 3% full boarding schools, 3% MARA Junior Science Colleges, 7% private schools by students SOURCE: PISA 2009+
Below minimum proficiency as defined by PISA means: ▪ In Reading, students are unable to do one or more of the following: locate one or more pieces of information in a text, recognise the main idea in a text, make low-level inferences or comparisons between information in the text and everyday knowledge; ▪ In Mathematics, students are unable to employ basic algorithms, formulae, procedures, or conventions. They are not capable of direct reasoning and literal interpretations of the results, even though they can answer clearly defined questions involving familiar contexts; and
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Chapter 3 Current Performance
3-10
EXHIBIT 3-12
Comparison of Malaysia’s PISA 2009+ ranking against other countries
Comparison of Malaysia’s PISA 2009+ ranking against other countries
1 Reading Rank 1 2 3 4 5 18 19 42 43 53 Country Shanghai-China Korea Finland Hong Kong Singapore United Kingdom OECD Average Germany Mean score 556 539 536 533 526 494 497 459 449 421 2 Mathematics Rank 1 2 33 4 5 20 21 41 42 52 Country Shanghai-China Singapore Hong Kong Korea Taiwan Austria OECD Average Slovak Republic Croatia International Average Israel Thailand Mean score 600 562 555 546 543 3 Science Rank 1 2 3 4 5 20 21 40 41 51 Country Shanghai-China Finland Hong Kong Singapore Japan Mean score 575 554 549 542 Image by MOE 539 508 500 470 461 425
Regional peers
…
Russian Fed. Chile Thailand
International Average
… …
…
496 497 460 447
Ireland OECD Average Czech Republic
…
… …
… …
Greece International Average Malta Thailand
…
…
419
…
55
62
MALAYSIA
Indonesia
414
402
57
68
MALAYSIA
Indonesia
404
371
52
66
MALAYSIA …
Indonesia
422
383
Note: Countries are ranked in descending order of the percentage of top performers (Level 5 or 6) SOURCE: PISA 2009+
▪ In Science, students have very limited scientific knowledge that can only be applied to a few familiar situations. They can present scientific explanations that follow explicitly from the given evidence, but will struggle to draw conclusions or make interpretations from simple investigations. Just as with TIMSS in 2007, the PISA 2009+ results also show that very few Malaysian students are performing at an Advanced level (approximately 0.1% for Reading, Mathematics, and Science) compared to the OECD countries (where almost 8% perform at this level). Performing at an Advanced level in PISA means:
…
…
▪ In Reading, students are able to make multiple inferences, comparisons, and contrasts that are both detailed and precise. They are also able to develop critical evaluations or hypotheses, drawing on specialised knowledge; ▪ In Mathematics, students are able to interpret more complex information, and negotiate a number of processing steps. They demonstrate insight in identifying a suitable solution strategy, and display other higher-order cognitive processes to explain or communicate results; and
3-11
▪ In Science, students are able to identify, explain and apply TIMSS and PISA highlight that there are Good scientific knowledge in a variety of complex life situations. and Great schools in Malaysia worthy of study They consistently demonstrate advanced scientific thinking and reasoning. Students are able to use scientific knowledge and develop and replication arguments in support of recommendations and decisions that centre While Malaysia’s performance as a system on the international on personal, social, or global situations. assessments is not as strong as is desired, an analysis of the distribution of scores by school shows that there are schools worthy The contrast with other top-performing Asian countries is obvious: of study and replication (Exhibit 3-16). These are schools whose the percentage of students in Singapore, South Korea, and Hong Kong performance falls in the Good or Great performance band by performing at the Advanced level in reading is 120-150 times that of international standards. In the TIMSS 2007 assessment, for example, Malaysia (Exhibit 3-14). 11% of schools performed in the Great band, while another 30% were in Good. In the PISA 2009+ assessment, 7% of schools were in the EXHIBIT 3-14 Good band.
Comparison of Malaysia’s PISA 2009+ performance in Reading by skill level against other countries
Percentage of students at each performance levels1 in PISA 2009+ Reading
EXHIBIT 3-16
Malaysian school performance by performance bracket for TIMSS 2007 and PISA 2009+
Advanced
12.9
12.4
15.7
13.4
7.6
0.7
0.3
0.1
0
58.9
Intermediate
56.8
55.9
46.6
TIMSS 2007 Participating schools by performance bracket Performance bracket
PISA 2009+ Participating schools by performance bracket Performance bracket Excellent Great Good Fair Poor
81.3
79.3
71.8
73.0
73.6
Number 0 17 45 64 24 150
Percent 0% 11% 30% 43% 16% 100%
Number 0 0 11 20 121 152
Percent 0% 0% 7% 13% 80% 100%
40.4 Below minimum 5.8 Korea 8.3 Hong Kong 12.5 Singapore 13.6 Japan 18.8
42.9
44.0
53.4
Excellent Great Good Fair Poor
OECD Romania Thailand average
Malay- Indonesia sia
1 Advanced includes proficiency level 5 and level 6; Intermediate includes proficiency level 2, 3, and 4; and Below minimum includes proficiency level 1 and below SOURCE: PISA 2009+
Exhibit 3-15 compares all the countries taking part in international assessments and how well their students performed. The vertical axis shows their level of achievement on the universal scale. Countries are classified based on the universal scale into broad performance bands of Poor, Fair, Good, Great, and Excellent. The difference between each performance band (approximately 40 universal scale points) is equivalent to one year of schooling. Thus, 15-year-olds in a Good system are performing as though they have had one extra year of schooling compared to 15-year-olds in a Fair system. The horizontal axis of the chart shows the public expenditure on education per student in US dollars (PPP adjusted) as of 2008. All the countries have been allocated to the bar that corresponds to their expenditure band. The number at the top of this bar is the maximum score achieved (by a particular country) for this level of expenditure, and the number at the bottom represents the minimum score. The chart highlights Malaysia’s public expenditure per student in 2008. Combining the two axes highlights the variation in performance between countries that have similar levels of expenditure in education.
SOURCE: TIMSS 2007; PISA 2009+
The Ministry also has two types of Special Awards to recognise schools with outstanding performance: HPS and Cluster Schools (CS). There are 66 HPS around the country, with enhanced decision-making rights (and accountability) to sustain performance while enabling principals and teachers to continue to raise the bar (Exhibit 3-17). There are also 170 CS nationwide.
National examinations and international assessments suggest variance in standards
There is some evidence to suggest that there is a lack of alignment between the national and international assessments in terms of how standards are defined. These discrepancies go some way toward explaining the mismatch between the trends seen in the national examinations and those revealed in the international assessments.
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Chapter 3 Current Performance
3-12
EXHIBIT 3-15
Country performance in international assessments relative to public spend per student
Universal scale score1 2009 (max, median, min)
580 560 540 520 500 480 460 440 420 400 380 360 340 320 0 0– 1,000 1,000– 2,000 2,000– 3,000 3000– 4,000 4,000– 5,000 5,000– 6,000 6,000– 7,000 7,000– 8,000 8,000– 9,000 9,000– 10,000 10,000 +
Kyrgyzstan Uruguay Algeria Philippines W. Cape El Savador Jordan Azerbaijan Ghana Indonesia Georgia Morocco Slovak Republic Chinese Taipei Shanghai
578 544
Singapore Korea, Rep. Australia Estonia Czech Republic
Excellent 547 531
Japan Hong Kong New Zealand
545 530
Ontario Canada Finland Belg.Flanders
531 Great
489
Poland Hungary Latvia Croatia Greece Israel Oman Saudi Arabia
Macao SAR, China Portugal
Germany France Spain Slovenia Italy
UK Iceland Ireland Cyprus
Lithuania Armenia Syria
478
Turkey
486
Netherlands Switzerland Norway Denmark USA Sweden Austria Belg. CFB Luxembourg
Good
Russia
464
483 Fair
455
Chile
441 Iran
Bahrain Serbia Bulgaria
Malta
458
458
Thailand Mauritius Moldova Kazakhstan Colombia Tunisia Panama
Romania Mexico Malaysia Argentina
422
Kuwait
Botswana
412
397
402 Poor
370
327
Public spend per student2, PPP units
1 Universal scale based on Hanushek & Woessmann methodology, to enable comparison across systems. 2 Public spend per student for basic education (pre-school, primary, and secondary school levels) for 2008 current prices Note: Malaysia 2008 public spend is USD3000 SOURCE: World Bank EdStats; IMF; UNESCO; PISA 2009+, TIMSS 2007; PIRLS 2006; Global Insight; McKinsey & Company.
3-13
EXHIBIT 3-17
Selected profiles of High Performing Schools in Malaysia
SK Ulu Lubai, Sarawak
▪ 100% pass rate in UPSR ▪
since 2006 First rural school in M’sia to achieve HPS status performer in UPSR Outstanding performance in co-curricular activities such as taekwondo and public speaking.
66 awarded HPS schools were
▪ Consistently a top
SK Zainab (2), Kelantan
▪
status in recognition of their excellence across all aspects of education
▪ Consistently a top
SJK(C) Foon Yew (2), Johor
▪
performer in UPSR Excellent track record in international academic competitions in Mathematics and Chinese 100% pass rate in SPM Outstanding performance in co-curricular activities such as orchestra and rugby.
SM Sultan Abdul Hamid, Kedah
▪ Consistently achieved a ▪
SMK for five consecutive years Aminuddin ▪ Excellent record in Baki, WP international sporting Kuala events, for example Lumpur swimming High Performing Schools is an initiative under the NKRA aimed at elevating the quality of schools to world-class standards. Schools awarded HPS status are granted greater operational flexibility to innovate and continue raising the bar. These schools will also support raising standards across the entire system by coaching other schools to improve performance.
SOURCE: Fully Residential and Excellent Schools Management Division
▪ 100% pass rate in SPM
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Comparison of results between the TIMSS 2007 (Form 2) and PMR 2008 (Form 3) examinations for the same set of schools tested shows that there appears to be a mismatch between the two in terms of the definition of excellence. In consequence, in PMR 2008, 30% of students received an Excellent (A) grade in Mathematics, as compared to just 2% in TIMSS 2007 achieving Advanced levels (Exhibit 3-18). One possible reason for this misalignment of standards is that the national and international assessments have different testing foci. PISA, for example, focuses on questions that test for higherorder thinking skills such as application and reasoning. Malaysia’s national assessments, on the other hand, have a heavier slant towards questions that test for content knowledge. EXHIBIT 3-18
Comparison of TIMSS 2007 results with PMR 2008
Advanced / A Below Minimum / E
Comparison of Cambridge English standards with the SPM English language paper also shows differences in the setting of standards. The SPM English paper (which is not necessarily intended to test native speakers of English) is benchmarked externally to Cambridge’s 1119 paper for native speakers of English, allowing students to obtain a grade under both examination scales. LP and the Cambridge International Examinations set different cut-off grades for SPM English papers. This difference is most stark at the border between pass and fail. Under the Cambridge grading scale, 50% of Form 5 students failed to achieve minimum standards. Under the Malaysian grading scale, approximately 20% of students were deemed to have failed (Exhibit 3-19).
EXHIBIT 3-19
Comparison of SPM 2011 English language grades with Cambridge English language grades
Percentage of students obtaining each letter grade by international and national assessment scales Percent of students
17
60
SPM Cambridge Assessments
Mathematics scores Percent of students 2
30
Science scores Percent of students 3
80 58
77 72
40
20
18 TIMSS 2007
12 PMR 20081
20 TIMSS 2007
11 PMR 20081
0
A+
A1
A
AA2
B+
B3
B
B4
C+
C5
C
C6
D
D7
E
E8
G
G9
SPM grade Cambridge grade
1 The distribution of grades illustrated is for schools that participated in TIMSS 2007 SOURCE: TIMSS 2007; Examination Syndicate
NOTE: SPM English language assessments are assessed once, but receive two grades per paper based on national and international cut-off points respectively SOURCE: Examination Syndicate
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Student completion rates for one cohort
Tracking the path of the cohort of students entering public schools in Year 1 in primary school in 2000, through to their completion of Form Five in 2010 indicates that around 36% of this cohort are either no longer enrolled in school, or have failed to achieve minimum standards in SPM examinations for core subjects (defined as Bahasa Malaysia, English language, Mathematics, Science, History, and Moral or Islamic Education) (Exhibit 3-20). An additional 11% have switched out of the public school system to private schools. A comparable trend was noted for the Year 1 cohort of 1999, as well. This suggests that one-third of every cohort is not reaching the minimum achievement level desired of all students. EXHIBIT 3-20
School completion rates for the 2000 Year 1 student cohort
Student cohort outcomes across schooling phases Percent of total enrolment in 2000 100% = 509,329 Achieved minimum standards
EXHIBIT 3-21
Results of 2011 Jobstreet survey on graduate employment
Top 5 reasons why fresh graduates were rejected after interview sessions Percent of respondents N = 571 human resource personnel Unrealistic salary demands Bad character, attitude and personality of the jobseeker Poor command of English language Lack of good communication skills Too choosy about the job or company they wish to work for
38 64 60 56 52
“On the question about the level of quality among our fresh graduates today, 66% of the respondents rated them as ‘average’ and 23% rated them as ‘poor’.” – Jobstreet 2011
SOURCE: Jobstreet survey (October 2011)
65
Total size of student cohort
55
52
100
6 1 33 0.4 Year 1 2000 UPSR 2005 32 7 PMR 2008 28 8 SPM 2010 11
Switched school system1 Failed 1 or more core subjects2 Out of school system3 36% fail to meet min. standard
1 Refers to students who took the national assessment as a non-public school candidate. 2 Fail refers to failing at least 1 subject, including Bahasa Malaysia, English language, History, Moral Education or Islamic Education, Mathematics and Science (General Science for arts stream, either Physics, Chemistry or Biology for science stream students) 3 Includes drop-outs and students who transferred to private schools not using the national curriculum (for example, international schools)
SOURCE: Educational Policy, Planning and Research Division; Examination Syndicate
▪ Public opinion polls: Broader public opinion appears to be mixed. A public opinion poll conducted by the Merdeka Centre in December 2004 on a sample of 850 Malaysians (aged 16 to 30) found that the majority of them (68% of Indians, 58% of Chinese, and 50% of Malays) felt that the education they received had prepared them inadequately for the challenges of living and working in today’s society. In contrast, a 2011 public survey of 1,800 Malaysians indicated that overall, 55% of them believed that the Malaysian education system was comparable in standards to those of developed countries, and 35% believed that it was better. Though the limitations of such surveys need to be acknowledged, the Ministry believes that these concerns need to be heeded. The potential of children in Malaysia need to be met with the educational quality that will ensure that they can realise their dreams and ambitions once they leave school.
Public perception of the quality of education outcomes is mixed
Expectations of the Malaysian education system vary across different groups. As a result, the public perception of the quality of Malaysia’s education system is mixed: ▪ Industry perspectives: Interviews conducted with employers and industry leaders reveal that there is widespread concern over the extent to which students are being equipped with the right skills to succeed in modern society (Exhibit 3-21). In particular, employers are concerned about: (i) the lack of higher-order thinking skills, such as problem solving and creative thinking, and (ii) the level of graduates’ English proficiency (a particular concern of the private sector); ▪ Student perspectives: The students themselves appear optimistic. A recent survey of approximately 23,000 school-going children (Year 6, Form 2, and Form 4) conducted in 2011 shows that they are optimistic about the education they are receiving. For instance, 95% of students agreed or strongly agreed that their education was helping them develop the right set of life skills; and
Available data suggest that holistic development of students is occurring
As part of its objective of providing a balanced education, the Ministry recognises the importance of understanding its performance in supporting students’ spiritual, emotional, and physical development. To that end, the three best available sources of data on this issue were examined: (i) schools’ scores on student outcome (kemenjadian murid) as part of the annual school quality self-assessment exercise; (ii) the 2011 results of targeted school inspections on student discipline; and (iii) the percentage of students involved in disciplinary cases in 2011.
Schools generally show positive self-evaluation scores on student outcomes Each year, schools are required to conduct a self-assessment using the Standard of Quality Education Malaysia, or Standard Kualiti Pendidikan Malaysia (SKPM), on five dimensions related to school quality: leadership and direction, organisational administration,
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administration of students’ welfare, curricular and co-curricular activities, teaching and learning, and student outcomes. For the last dimension, the schools consider both academic and non-academic outcomes including co-curricular participation and the attitudes, behaviours, and moral values demonstrated by students at school. This dimension is graded on a 15 point scale, with 15 being the best rating possible. Overall, the results of this self-assessment are fairly positive: 76% of primary schools rated themselves at 10 points or higher on this dimension, as compared to 44% at the secondary level. Only 1% of primary and secondary schools reported a rating of less than 5 points.
Targeted school inspections found that discipline is not a major issue JNJK conducts targeted inspections each year on specific issues that are of concern to the Minister of Education. In 2011, one of these targeted inspections looked at the issue of student discipline in 51 schools nationwide (75% of which were primary schools).
Two elements were examined: student discipline during lessons (for example, the degree to which students followed their teacher’s instructions) and their behaviour outside of the classroom. On a scale of 1 to 6, with 1 being Very Weak, and 6 being Excellent, the JNJK inspectors rated overall student discipline at level 4, otherwise known as having “potential to improve.” There were no discernible differences across urban and rural primary schools. However, urban secondary schools were found to have more issues regarding discipline, and were, on average, rated at level 3 (Satisfactory) as compared to rural secondary schools which were rated at level 4. Specifically, students at urban secondary schools were found to be less likely to take care of school property, to have lower self-confidence, to be less likely to assist their peers, or to act in a polite and respectful manner.
Image by y Azmil77, Flickr CC 2.0
feedback from the national Dialogue
During the National Dialogue, the Ministry consulted with almost 12,000 members of the general public in addition to specific stakeholder groups. Malaysians from all walks of life highlighted the importance of raising the quality of the education system. Three critical factors were identified by participants (listed in order of frequency of citation): ▪ Teacher quality: Teachers, parents, and students alike spoke extensively on the need to enhance the quality of teachers. Specific aspects touched upon included administrative burden, training, performance management, and remuneration; ▪ School quality: Specific aspects highlighted for improvement include providing a better learning environment in terms of infrastructure but also student discipline. Participants also suggested enablers to achieve those improvements (e.g., renewed performance management, greater school-based management; and ▪ Student learning: Participants expressed a desire for a more relevant curriculum and better language proficiency and communication abilities for students. More details on points raised during the National Dialogue can be found in Appendix III.
Percentage of students involved in disciplinary cases is generally low Currently, every school is required to report the number of students involved in disciplinary cases each year. These cases range from minor issues like tardiness, to serious ones such as criminal activity. Based on this data, only a very small percentage of students, 2%, posed discipline problems for their schools.
Combined, these three data points suggest that schools are providing for the holistic development of students at a level that is, at least, satisfactory. As with all things, however, there is always room for improvement. Accordingly, the JNJK inspectors pointed to the need for schools to balance the students’ academic and non-academic experiences. The recommendation was for schools to closely monitor students’ holistic development and provide students with the appropriate support as required (for example, counselling services and a sufficiently broad range of co-curricular activities to address different student interests).
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EQUITy IN EDUCATION
As with most countries, there are significant variations in outcomes in Malaysia across states, districts, schools, socio-economic class, and gender. Some of these achievement gaps have narrowed over time, which is a major step forward towards ensuring that every school is a good school. Nonetheless, socio-economic class remains the largest driver of student outcomes in Malaysia. Although this is a common problem in many countries around the world, it is of the utmost importance that the education system seeks to combat the fact that a child’s academic performance is often largely dependent on family income.
Since independence, equity has been a goal of the Malaysian education system. The World Bank Report (2011) acknowledges that Malaysia is relatively successful in pursuing its ambitions: “For primary schools, we found a statistically significant relationship between public expenditure and district-level SES (soci0-economic status); the analysis suggests that public expenditure is progressive.” Gaps in outcomes remain, however, and when these gaps are associated with non-academic factors they are always a source of concern, however small or large they might be. This section examines each of the present sources of inequity in turn: between and within states, between rural and urban schools, by student’s socio-economic background, school type and gender, and between public and private schools. The data gathered indicates that overall, gaps still remain in each of these categories, with the greatest gap being caused by differences in students’ socio-economic status.
EXHIBIT 3-22
Comparison of performance across states for UPSR and SPM 2011
Average percent GPS for 2011 UPSR SPM W.P. Putrajaya
81.3 72.8 71.3 70.8 70.8 70.5 70.3 70.0 69.8 69.5 67.8 66.5 65.3 63.5 60.8
-33%
58.0 44.8 45.3 46.4 45.4 44.4 48.0 46.0 46.4 46.2 42.2 41.3 39.3 48.6 40.1 38.8
-33%
Kelantan Terengganu N. Sembilan Melaka Johor W.P. Kuala Lumpur Pahang P. Pinang Selangor Perak Kedah Perlis W.P. Labuan Sarawak
54.3
Sabah
SOURCE: Examination Syndicate
Achievement gaps exist between and within states across Malaysia
Not all states perform as well as each other. A number of states have shown distinct improvements during the past few years, while others have fared less well. In 2011, there was an almost 20-percentage-point difference in the UPSR grade point averages between the betterperforming larger states such as Johor, and the lowest-performing state, Sabah (Exhibit 3-22). 16 out of 20 of the lowest-performing districts in UPSR examinations, and 10 out of 20 in SPM, are in Sabah and Sarawak. There is also a high degree of variance within states, although some states have demonstrated that closing the achievement gap between school districts is indeed possible. While facing many of the same constraints as other states, such states have performed much better and have thereby effectively reduced inequity. Johor, for example (Exhibit 3-23), does a much better job than many other states in reducing the variation in performance between schools at the primary school level for UPSR (refer to Chapter 4 for a case study of how Johor has managed to achieve this result). Other states like Kelantan, Penang, Sabah, and Sarawak, however, appear to struggle, exhibiting a wide spectrum of performance across school districts within these states. Digging deeper into the next level of performance—schools—it becomes apparent that Malaysian schools are spread across the performance spectrum. This wide range in school outcomes is noted in the NKRA school bands, which draw upon both grade point averages for national examinations and school self-assessments. In 2011, 21% of primary schools were in Bands 1 and 2 versus 3% in Bands 6 and 7, while 11% of secondary schools were in Bands 1 and 2 versus 8% in Bands 6 and 7.
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EXHIBIT 3-23
Comparison of within-state performance for UPSR and SPM 2011 maximum average minimum
District level percent GPS scores by state (2011) 90 80 UPSR 70 60 50 0 60 55 50 SPM 45 40 35 0 State WP Putrajaya Sarawak 1 Negeri Sembilan WP Kuala Lumpur Terengganu WP Labuan Selangor Kelantan
Sabah 1
Pahang
Penang
Melaka
Kedah
Perak
Perlis
1 Individual districts in Sabah and Sarawak grouped into clusters of districts for the purpose of this analysis SOURCE: Examination Syndicate
Johor
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EXHIBIT 3-24
Comparison of rural and urban school gap over time
2011 % gap 2011 % gap
EXHIBIT 3-25
Comparison of National and National-type UPSR scores from 2005 to 2011
SK SJKC
SJKT
UPSR scores Percent GPS (2005-2011)
SPM scores Percent GPS (2004-2011)
UPSR scores of primary schools Percent GPS
2005 gap
2011 gap
70
Urban 3.8 Rural
50
Urban
70 68
8.0
-2.5 11.7
0.3 3.5
65
45
66 64 62 60 58 56 54 52 50 2005
06 07 08 09 10 2011
60
40
Rural
55
35
50 2005 06
07
08
09
10 2011
30 2004 05 06 07 08 09 10 2011
NOTE: Urban schools are taken to be schools classified as “Bandaraya”, “Bandar” and “Bandar Kecil.” Rural schools are schools classified as “Luar Bandar.” SOURCE: Examination Syndicate
1 Gaps are calculated as the difference in percentage points between SK scores less SJK(C) or SJK(T) scores SOURCE: Examination Syndicate
Achievement gap between rural and urban schools is narrowing over time
The Ministry and the general public have long focused attention on inequity in educational outcomes between students attending school in urban communities versus those in rural communities. States with a higher proportion of rural schools, like Sabah and Sarawak, on average, underperform states with fewer rural schools. However, Malaysia has made clear progress in this area: the gap between rural and urban schools has been gradually closing over time (Exhibit 3-24). In the UPSR examinations, the gap today between urban and rural students is almost 4 percentage points in favour of urban schools. At the SPM level, the gap appears to have widened to 8 percentage points. This widening gap could be driven by two factors. The first is that failure is cumulative. A child who fails at UPSR is unlikely to be able to succeed at SPM. Early intervention is thus critical. The second is that there was no actual widening. Instead, the 2006 UPSR cohort maintained their urban-rural gap of 8 percentage points through to SPM in 2011.
Achievement gaps between National and National-type schools are narrowing over time
Student outcomes by school type also warrant consideration. The story here is a positive one overall, as the gaps are consistently narrowing. At the primary level, SJK(T)s still lag behind both SJK(C)s and SKs by approximately 4 percentage points in 2011 (Exhibit 3-25). However, this gap has been almost halved during the past five years. The difference in performance between SK and SJK(C) is negligible at 0.3 percentage points in 2011.
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Chapter 3 Current Performance
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EXHIBIT 3-26
Examination results, dropout rates and tertiary enrolment rates by gender
Achievement gap is large and growing Female and male percent GPS gap Higher dropout rate amongst male students Male to female student ratio 20111 Lower tertiary enrolment of male students Percent enrolment2 (2011) (n = ‘000) Male Female n = 1,146 n = 96 n = 1,050
EXHIBIT 3-27
Distribution of student population receiving KWAPM by school band in 2011
Distribution of student population receiving KWAPM1 Percent of schools (2011) 100% = 2,296 3,858 42
31 75 56 17 25 18
11
PMR UPSR SPM
1.1 1.06 1.06
Schools with 2/3 students receiving KWAPM
44
10
54
43
1.0 0.95 0.9
9
56
46
57
52
8 2006 07
7
Std 1 Std 6 Form 5 Total Polytechnic and community college University2
19 Average schools, Band 3,4,5 Poor schools, Band 6&7
08 09
10 2011
Good schools, Band 1&2
1 Includes vocational and technical schools 2 Includes IPTA and IPTS SOURCE: Examination Syndicate, Educational Policy, Planning and Research Division, Higher Education Statistics 2011
1 Only primary schools were included, with the exception of 1,060 schools in Sabah and 418 schools in other states due to incomplete data SOURCE: Finance Division; National Key Result Area; EMIS database
The “lost Boys” issue: the gender gap is widening
The gender gap is both significant and increasing (Exhibit 3-26). Girls consistently outperform boys. The difference in performance is already evident at UPSR level and increases over the course of a student’s academic career. Further, boys are more likely to drop out, leading to a situation wherein the male to female ratio for any given cohort decreases from Year 1 to Form 5. At university level, female students comprise up to 70% of the latest incoming cohort in some universities. This gap between the genders has widened at the PMR and SPM level over the last five years, a trend that if unchecked, runs the risk of creating a community of educationally marginalised young Malaysian men. Fortunately, the trend has reversed in 2011 for UPSR results, with the performance gap falling from about 11 to 10 percentage points. Interviews with parents, teachers, and principals suggest that some boys struggle with the mainstream academic curriculum and would probably benefit from greater access to vocational training or more applied coursework. However, the limited number of places in vocational and technical schools prevents this from occurring. This problem is compounded by the fact that boys from poor families are also more likely to drop out from school to start work early in order to help support their families. The higher rate of dropouts and lower academic performance among boys is a cause for concern for the Ministry. Alienated youth are a source of great social and political instability, as has been seen across the world in the recent past. It is imperative that Malaysia find a way to engage boys in education to ensure that they become a valuable source of human capital.
Socio-economic status continues to have a large impact on student performance
The Ministry has long been aware that socio-economic differences present a major challenge to achieving equitable outcomes. Educational disadvantage, whereby how much students’ parents earn and where they go to school correlates with student achievement, is a phenomenon experienced by many education systems around the world. In order to overcome this, the Ministry has committed itself to eliminating this inequity through a wide variety of initiatives, including the provision of financial assistance to disadvantaged students. There are a number of dimensions used to measure the correlation between a student’s socio-economic background and student outcomes. Some of these are: parents’ highest level of educational attainment, state average household income, and the percentage of students receiving basic financial assistance. The percentage of students receiving KWAPM financial aid (a fund for disadvantaged students) has been used as a proxy for socio-economic status, due to the eligibility criteria of coming from a low-income household. The evidence consistently demonstrates that students from poor families are less likely to perform as well as students from middle-income or high-income households. Schools with higher concentrations of lowincome students were more likely to fall in Band 6 or 7 on the NKRA scale (Exhibit 3-27). Similarly, more than three-quarters of all highperforming schools have less than a third of their students on financial aid. It appears that the largest achievement gaps in Malaysia are still those driven by socio-economic status, despite the government’s significant investments thus far.
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Indeed, it is likely that socio-economic factors, in terms of the composition of the student body, contribute to many of the other achievement gaps discussed previously—especially in terms of location and school type (but not gender). That being said, the impact of socio-economic status on student outcomes is less significant in Malaysia than in other systems around the world. For example, only 10% of the Malaysian variance between schools in the PISA 2009+ assessment can be explained by socio-economic factors, as compared to the OECD average of 55%, which indicates a far larger gap in most other countries. This is good news for Malaysia, as it shows that our education system is on its way to being truly equitable.
BUIlDING UNITy THROUGH EDUCATION
Malaysia’s unique diversity—ethnic, religious, and cultural —has always been its greatest strength, and its greatest challenge. As Malaysia increasingly finds itself in a world where differences can divide, it has never been more important for Malaysians to forge a Malaysian identity and to embrace our diverse heritage. As a shared space for all Malaysians, schools have a unique potential to be a place to foster unity. The challenge is that to date, the system has struggled to measure unity in a systematic manner. The best available data suggests that student and teacher diversity in National schools has decreased, although there is still a fair degree of interactivity across ethnicities inside and outside the classroom.
Unity, a vital component in Malaysia’s truly unique social context, is a key factor in realising a society of balanced and harmonious individuals as envisioned in the National Education Philosophy. To that end, the Ministry has taken a range of actions, from ensuring that all ethnicities are fairly represented in the teaching materials used in schools, to organising school-based programmes explicitly focused on building unity. The critical question, however, is how unity can be measured. This section considers several possible measures to paint a picture of where the system stands. Student enrolment in the overall public education system remains broadly reflective of national demographics. However, there are specific schooling options that have homogenous environments (Exhibit 3-28). For example, primary school students across all options are in highly homogeneous environments. The challenge is that these homogeneous environments make it less likely for students to receive exposure to students of different cultures and ethnic groups, and thus less likely to develop the respect for diversity critical for unity. However, there is some convergence in secondary school. Most students from the various primary schools enrol in a single secondary school format—the SMK. Nevertheless, some students still receive limited exposure to diversity—for example, a child who transfers from a SJK(C) to an independent Chinese school or that moves from an SK to a National religious secondary school or Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA). In addition, there is a small but growing minority of students that leave the public education system and enrol in private schools, and therefore move beyond the Ministry’s sphere of influence.
Gap in student performance persists between private and public schools
Private schools using the national curriculum present yet another gap in equity as they score about 6% higher than public schools at SPM. While some of this achievement gap may be due to a better learning environment, it is probable that much of it is due to the self-selecting nature of these schools, which skews them towards a student population that is more economically advantaged. Although enrolment in private schools using the national curriculum currently accounts for only 1% of total student numbers, enrolment is increasing as average household income levels rise.
Range of schooling options creating ethnically homogeneous environments
It is important that the nation’s diversity is reflected in our schools, so as to give Malaysian children the opportunity to live with and learn from fellow Malaysians of every ethnicity, religion, and culture. Accordingly, one data point considered as a gauge of unity at school level is enrolment trends in SKs, SJK(C)s, and SJK(T)s.
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EXHIBIT 3-28
Enrolment rates in different school types
As of 30 June 2011 National Education System
% of secondary school students % of primary school students
Private Education System
SECONDARY1
National2 National [SMK] (SMK)
Govtaided religious [SABK]
Special education
Chinese Independent
Religious
Int’l
Nat’l curriculum
Special Ed.
88%
4%
3%
3%
1
MALAYSIA EDUCATION BLUEPRINT
CHAPTER 1
CONTExT AND
INNOVA
6
Education is a major contributor to the development of our social and economic capital. It inspires creativity and fosters innovation; provides our youth with the necessary skills to be able to compete in the modern labour market; and is a key driver of growth in the economy. And as this Government puts in place measures under the New Economic Model, Economic Transformation Plan and Government Transformation Plan to place Malaysia firmly on the path to development, we must ensure that our education system continues to progress in tandem. By doing so, our country will continue to keep pace in an increasingly competitive global economy.
ATION
Our education system has been the bedrock of our development. It has provided this generation and those before it with the skills and knowledge that have driven the country’s growth and, with it, our prosperity. At the centre of this are the thousands of dedicated teachers, principals, administrators, and officers and staff at the Ministry of Education, both past and present, whose contribution can never be overstated. In the 55 years since our independence, they have overseen a dramatic improvement to the quality and provision of education. And through their efforts we have, for example, achieved near-universal access at the primary and lower secondary levels, while global organisations such as UNESCO and World Bank have recognised and lauded Malaysia’s progress in education. But in order to meet our high aspirations amidst an increasingly competitive global environment, we cannot stand still. Our country requires a transformation of its entire education system, lifting achievement for all students. Make no mistake; this will require an entirely new perspective, so that students develop skills needed for the 21st century. Rather than simply adding staff and facilities, there is now a need to understand and improve the dynamics of the teaching and learning process. To this end, the Government has developed the Education Blueprint. It provides a comprehensive plan for a rapid and sustainable transformation of our education system through to 2025. And by building on the range of initiatives introduced as National Key Result Areas, it sets out the fundamental changes that we require. From how we approach student learning, the way we recruit, train and reward our teachers and principals right through to how the Ministry of Education itself operates, it lays out a process for that change. And in doing so, it lays out clear improvements on the factors that really matter, along every step of this journey.
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Foreword
7
These targets are ambitious, but entirely achievable. They include: ensuring universal enrolment from pre-school to upper secondary education in 10 years; halving the achievement gaps between the rich and poor, urban and rural, and between the states that form Malaysia in 10 years; rising from the bottom-third to the top-third of countries in international assessments like PISA and TIMSS in 15 years; and building an education system that gives children an appreciation for our unique identity as Malaysians. And this will be achieved with due prudence and care for the resources allocated; every ringgit spent must be directed towards improving student outcomes. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to the Ministry of Education and all those who contributed towards the development of this Education Blueprint. I realize that transforming the education system will not be easy and that we are likely to encounter a number of challenges along the way. But despite this, rest assured that not only are the Government and Ministry of Education committed to delivering on these goals, I am also personally committed. And hand in hand with the rakyat, I have every confidence that we will persevere and deliver. From individual parents to members of the local community to the private sector, we all have a role to play and a personal stake in improving our education system. A role that will help sow the seeds of our children’s success. A role that we should all be proud to play. So God willing, let us take this exciting, challenging and – most importantly – this necessary journey together, as one nation.
Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak
Prime Minister of Malaysia
QUALITY
8
This Government is committed to transforming Malaysia’s education system over the next oneand-a-half decades. Our goal, and the purpose of the education system, is to equip our students holistically to allow them to succeed in the 21st century, with all of the opportunities and challenges that this new era presents. In order to compete with the best in the world, our education system must develop young Malaysians who are knowledgeable, think critically and creatively, have leadership skills and are able to communicate with the rest of the world. Just as importantly, our students must be imbued with values, ethics and a sense of nationhood, enabling them to make the right choices for themselves, their families and the country with a view towards enduring and overcoming life’s inevitable challenges.
TY
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Foreword
9
Delivering the shifts in achievement we seek will require building on the progress already realised across the system; spreading it more widely, particularly to those groups for whom the system is currently not performing; and supporting all students to achieve. The Ministry of Education will focus its resources on those levers that actually make a difference to what matters most: student outcomes. Our strategy is to focus on teaching and learning quality, access to reliable and meaningful information, transparent accountabilities and appropriate learning environments and infrastructure. The Ministry will ensure that all children entering school have already participated in early childhood education, regardless of socio-economic status. We will increase the number and diversity of preschools to make them broadly accessible, while raising the quality of early childhood education services across the board.
We will also further develop opportunities for religious, sports, arts, and other educational pathways. The inclusiveness of the system will also be improved, with additional opportunities and resources for gifted, special needs, indigenous and other minority groups, and other groups with specific needs. In order to deliver on these fundamental transformations, the Ministry of Education will play a key role in leading the education sector and working with education providers and stakeholders to lift student achievement. I applaud all of our Ministry personnel for their dedicated service, their hard work and their continuous efforts to improve the education and care of our students. Over the course of the Blueprint, we will update you regularly on this transformation journey. We will establish an Education Delivery Unit (EDU) within the ministry that will support this programme. We will also share progress through annual reports which will highlight successes and gaps, with remedial action plans for continuous improvements where needed. On behalf of the Ministry of Education, we commit to the vision of this Blueprint and to supporting its implementation to the best of our ability. For the sake of Malaysia’s children, we can do better, and we will do better.
Quality teaching is the most effective lever available to transform primary and secondary education and deliver improved outcomes for students. The Ministry will improve the quality of teaching in our schools, building on existing good practice, and rewarding highquality teaching with better career pathways that support teachers in the classroom. It will also revise the curriculum to embed and develop 21st Century Skills such as critical and creative thinking, as well as encourage holistic, well-rounded personal growth. Excellent professional leadership has the second-biggest effect on improving learning outcomes and so we are investing in strengthening school leadership from selection through to induction and in-role mentoring and support. The Ministry will also provide targeted, differentiated support to every school, tailored to individual school needs. For instance, while the Ministry will support improved school infrastructure to support student learning across the education system, Sabah and Sarawak will be prioritised for infrastructure upgrades. This will ensure that every school receives the level and type of support it needs. Schools that are already high-performing will also earn greater decision rights autonomy to support continuous improvements. Working with partners wherever necessary, we are focused on increasing opportunities for young Malaysians of all abilities, talents and interests. For instance, the vocational education pathway is being strengthened and expanded to provide students with the practical skills required to succeed in trades and other specialised occupations.
Tan Sri Dato’ Haji Muhyiddin bin Haji Mohd. Yassin
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education
STUDEN OUTC
The Ministry of Education Malaysia remains committed to fulfilling the potential of students in the Malaysian education system. Inter alia, emphasis will be given to provide better access and quality education to every student, and eventually contribute towards bringing meaningful differences in the lives of Malaysians. The Malaysia Education Blueprint (2013-2025) provides the long term policy direction to make these improvements. It establishes a clear sequence of priorities to ensure that the return on investments is optimised in terms of the results that matter most “student outcomes.”
10
NT TCOMES
A key priority for this transformation is to ensure better alignment between policy formulation and implementation along the entire education value chain. Another priority is to improve resource productivity by strengthening the link between desired outcomes and the effective allocation of resources as well as efficient implementation and evaluation of relevant programmes and projects. Leadership, guidance and support from the Ministry, state education departments, district education offices as well as schools, will be critical to achieve these aspirations. Fulfilling these crucial roles will require a fundamental transformation in the Ministry’s organisational structure and operations, which needs to evolve into a more responsive, transparent and outcomes-focused organisation. The capacities and capabilities of personnel at the state and district levels will be enhanced. Greater autonomy and balanced accountability will also be provided to enable flexibility in delivering solutions tailored to the unique needs of students. This will also require constructive networking with key stakeholders across Government agencies, parents, community groups and the private sector. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the dedicated and hardworking Ministry personnel across Malaysia, many of whom perform their indispensable service of educating the nation’s children in varying conditions. Although many challenges still lie ahead, I am confident that by working together we can deliver our shared goal: a quality education system that equips all Malaysians with the knowledge, skills and values to be successful citizens in the 21st century.
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Foreword
11
Dato’ Dr. Rosli bin Mohamed
Secretary-General Ministry of Education
INCLUSIV
Education is key for personal development and it provides a myriad of life opportunities. It also underpins the development of a highly skilled, innovative workforce as a critical enabling factor for social, cultural, and economic growth. The commitment and efforts we put into education are some of the most fundamental investments we can make towards securing the future wellbeing of Malaysians. Towards achieving this, various initiatives were undertaken to identify challenges and gaps related to the education system and find ways to address them. From these findings, the Ministry has come up with a Blueprint outlining strategies and initiatives for the enhancement of the National Education System.
12
IVENESS
The Blueprint is the result of a multitude of analyses, interviews, surveys, and research conducted with the support of national and international education experts, officials, teachers, principals, and parents all across Malaysia. In addition, through the National Dialogue conducted earlier this year, almost 12,000 members of the public and various stakeholder groups were consulted for their ideas and feedback. In this Blueprint, we have set ourselves ambitious, yet achievable and feasible tasks to build a strong and efficient education system by 2025 that features universal access all the way through to secondary education, that will produce students who perform in the top third of international student assessments, to provide equal and quality educational opportunities for all students regardless of background or socioeconomic status and to instill a sense of common Malaysian identity amongst all students. These changes will necessitate the implementation of strategic support systems to engage students in the learning process. Our schools will be able to provide quality teaching, guidance, and support for our students. Placements of strong, school-based leaders will help to ensure schools comply with the high performance standards as prescribed by the Ministry of Education Malaysia. Furthermore, I am confident that with the cooperation from all internal and external stakeholders the implementation of this Blueprint will provide a sustainable and rapid transformation of Malaysia’s Education System.
Tan Sri Abd. Ghafar bin Mahmud
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Foreword
13
Director-General Ministry of Education
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
CHAPTER 1
CONTEXT AND APPROACH
CHAPTER 2
VISION AND ASPIRATIONS
CHAPTER 3
CURRENT PERFORMANCE
CHAPTER 4
STUDENT LEARNING
CHAPTER 5
TEACHERS AND SCHOOL LEADERS
CHAPTER 6
MINISTRY TRANSFORMATION
CHAPTER 7
SYSTEM STRUCTURE
CHAPTER 8
DELIVERING THE ROADMAP APPENDICES
ExECUTIvE SUMMARy
E-1
CHAPTER 3
ACCESS TO EDUCATION 3-1
▪
CHAPTER 1
BACKgROUND TO THE BlUEPRINT OBJECTIvES Of THE BlUEPRINT THE BlUEPRINT DEvElOPMENT APPROACH OvERvIEW Of THE BlUEPRINT 1-2 1-4 1-4 1-7
Near-universal access has been achieved at the primary and lower secondary levels
QUAlITy Of EDUCATION
3-5
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Student performance in national examinations is improving Malaysia’s performance in TIMSS Malaysia’s performance in PISA 2009+ TIMSS and PISA highlight that there are Good and Great schools in Malaysia worthy of study and replication National examinations and international assessments suggest variance in standards Student completion rates for one cohort Public perception of the quality of education outcomes is mixed Available data suggest that holistic development of students is occurring
CHAPTER 2
SySTEM ASPIRATIONS 2-1
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Access to Success Quality of a High International Standard Equity for All Students Fostering Unity among Students Delivering with Greater Efficiency
▪ ▪ ▪
EQUITy IN EDUCATION
3-17
▪
2-5
STUDENT ASPIRATIONS
Achievement gaps exist between and within states across Malaysia Achievement gap between rural and urban schools is narrowing over time Achievement gaps between National and National-type schools are narrowing over time The “Lost Boys” issue: the gender gap is widening Socio-economic status continues to have large impact on student performance Gap in student performance persists between private and public schools
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Knowledge Thinking Skills Leadership Skills Bilingual Proficiency Ethics and Spirituality National Identity
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
BUIlDINg UNITy THROUgH EDUCATION
3-21
▪ ▪ ▪
Range of schooling options creating ethnically homogeneous environments Teacher diversity in schools JNJK school inspections indicate a good level of unity
MAxIMISINg EffICIENCy
3-24
▪ ▪
Malaysia’s basic education expenditure is relatively high compared to peers on three different metrics MHigher spending has translated to better student outcomes in term of access, but not necessarily in term of quality
CHAPTER 4
CURRICUlUM AND ASSESSMENT 4-1
CHAPTER 5
TEACHERS 5-2
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
The written curriculum The taught curriculum The examined curriculum The Roadmap: Developing and applying 21st Century curriculum and assessment Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Improving the current curriculum and preparing for structural change Waves 2 (2016 to 2020) and 3 (2021 to 2025): Rolling out new and revised curriculum and assessments
lANgUAgE
4-7
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Assessing language proficiency in Malaysia The Roadmap: Creating language proficiency at scale Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Strengthening the current system Wave 2 (2016 to 2020): Introducing structural change Wave 3 (2021 to 2025): Scaling up structural change
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Demographics of the teaching force Quality of teaching Selection Pre-service training and ongoing professional development Placement Working conditions Remuneration and performance management The Roadmap: Transforming the teaching profession into a profession of choice Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Improving standards and support systems Wave 2 (2016 to 2020): Enhancing career pathways and progression Wave 3 (2021 to 2025): Creating a peer-led culture of professional excellence
SCHOOl lEADERS
5-12
gROUPS WITH SPECIfIC NEEDS
4-12
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Under-enrolled schools Indigenous and other minority groups Education for gifted children Special needs education
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Selection of principals Demographics of school leadership Training and professional development Current working conditions Career progression and performance management The Roadmap: Ensuring high-performing school leaders in every school Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Improving selection standards and support systems Wave 2 (2016 to 2020): Elevating the profession and moving towards distributed leadership Wave 3 (2021 to 2025): Creating a peer-led culture of professional excellence
ACCElERATINg SCHOOl IMPROvEMENT
4-18
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪
The Roadmap: Accelarating school improvement through states and districts Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Transforming state and district leadership Wave 2 (2016 to 2020): Increasing operational flexibility for JPNs, PPDs and schools Wave 3 (2021to 2025): Scaling up decision rights
1-5
CHAPTER 6
THE DElIvERy SySTEM 6-1
CHAPTER 7
PHASES AND DURATION Of EDUCATION 7-1
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Assessment of the current position The Roadmap: Closing the implementation gap Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Redefining roles and strengthening JPNs and PPDs Wave 2 (2016 to 2020): Implementing wide-scale reorganisation of the Ministry Wave 3 (2021 to 2025): Reinforcing organisational strengths
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
6-10
Phases of education Preschool education The Roadmap: Matching high-performing education systems Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Expanding preschools rapidly, increasing enrolment in other phases of education Wave 2 (2016 to 2020): Consolidating benefits Wave 3 (2021 to 2025): Ensuring universal access
RESOURCE PRODUCTIvITy
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
EDUCATION PATHWAyS
7-7
The Roadmap: Maximising student outcomes for every Ringgit Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Quick wins in rationalisation Wave 2 (2016 to 2020): Effecting system-wide efficiency Wave 3 (2021 to 2025): Maintaining best practices
SCHOOl INfRASTRUCTURE
6-14
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Education pathways and career options The Roadmap: Creating multiple education pathways Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Strengthening vocational education Wave 2 (2016 to 2020): Scaling up initiatives Wave 3 (2021 to 2025): Ensuring education pathways for all
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
The Roadmap: Adopting a common standard for school infrastructure, adapted to local needs Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Ensuring a good standard of basic infrastructure for all schools Wave 2 (2015 to 2020): Equipping schools to support enhanced curriculum and pedagogical delivery Wave 3 (2021 to 2025): Defining infrastructure needs for the future
ENHANCEMENT Of UNITy IN SCHOOlS
7-15
ICT fOR EDUCATION
6-20
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Current system structure to be maintained Ethnic homogeneity in the education system Civics elements in education Vision Schools RIMUP: integration through co-curricular activity The Roadmap: Improving interaction and integration across all schooling options Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Establishing foundations Wave 2 (2016 to 2020):Scaling interventions to foster unity Wave 3 (2021 to 2025): Reviewing schooling options and system structure
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
The Roadmap: Leveraging ICT for learning Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Enhancing the foundation Wave 2 (2015 to 2020): Introducing ICT innovations Wave 3 (2021 to 2025): Maintaining innovative, system-wide usage
lEARNINg SySTEM: PARENTS, COMMUNITy, AND PRIvATE SECTOR
7-18
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Current levels of parental and community engagement in education The Roadmap: Moving towards a learning system Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Supporting engagement with parents and private sector Wave 2 (2016 to 2020): Deepening engagement Wave 3 (2021 to 2025): Encouraging greater private-sector innovations
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Table of Contents
1-6
CHAPTER 8
SEQUENCINg THE TRANSfORMATION 8-3
glOSSARy
g-1
▪ ▪ ▪
Wave 1 (2013 to 2015): Turn around system by supporting teachers and focusing on core skills Wave 2 (2016 to 2020): Accelerate system improvement Wave 3 (2021 to 2025): Move towards excellence with increased operational flexibility 8-9
APPENDIx I: A BRIEf HISTORy Of EDUCATION IN MAlAySIA APPENDIx II.
A-1
DElIvERINg DIffERENTly
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Strengthening leadership commitment and capabilities in the Ministry Establishing a small, high-powered delivery unit to drive Blueprint delivery Intensifying internal and external performance management Engaging Ministry officials and other stakeholders
METHODOlOgy
A-5
APPENDIx III:
NATIONAl DIAlOgUE fEEDBACK
A-13
APPENDIx Iv:
8-11
THE UNIvERSAl SCAlE gETTINg STARTED
A-20
▪ ▪
The run-up to the Final Blueprint Early changes and results
APPENDIx v:
SAMPlE QUESTIONS fROM PISA
A-22
APPENDIx vI:
THE EDUCATION ROADMAP
A-34
APPENDIx vII:
gTP 2.0 EDUCATION INITIATIvES
A-37
executive
E-1
executive summary
In October 2011, the Ministry of Education launched a comprehensive review of the education system in Malaysia in order to develop a new National Education Blueprint. This decision was made in the context of rising international education standards, the Government’s aspiration of better preparing Malaysia’s children for the needs of the 21st century, and increased public and parental expectations of education policy. Over the course of 11 months, the Ministry drew on many sources of input, from education experts at UNESCO, World Bank, OECD, and six local universities, to principals, teachers, parents, and students from every state in Malaysia. The result is a preliminary Blueprint that evaluates the performance of Malaysia’s education system against historical starting points and international benchmarks. The Blueprint also offers a vision of the education system and students that Malaysia both needs and deserves, and suggests 11 strategic and operational shifts that would be required to achieve that vision. The Ministry hopes that this effort will inform the national discussion on how to fundamentally transform Malaysia’s education system, and will seek feedback from across the community on this preliminary effort before finalising the Blueprint in December 2012.
Education plays a central role in any country’s pursuit of economic growth and national development. There is no better predictor of a nation’s future than what is currently happening in its classrooms. In today’s global economy, a nation’s success depends fundamentally on the knowledge, skills and competencies of its people. It is no surprise that nations with higher education levels tend to enjoy greater economic prosperity. Education is also fundamental to nation building and unity. It provides individuals with the opportunity to improve their lives, become successful members of the community and active contributors to national development. Through interacting with individuals from a range of socio-economic, religious and ethnic backgrounds – and learning to understand, accept and embrace differences – a shared set of experiences and aspirations for Malaysia’s future can be built. It is through these shared experiences and aspirations that a common national identity and unity is fostered. In recent years, the Malaysian education system has come under increased public scrutiny and debate, as parents’ expectations rise and employers voice their concern regarding the system’s ability to adequately prepare young Malaysians for the challenges of the 21st century. Given the nature of the education system, it will take several years for fundamental changes to be felt. This makes the need for ambitious actions now both important and urgent.
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Executive Summary
E-2
Objectives and apprOach Of the review
This preliminary Education Blueprint (“Blueprint”) is the result of extensive research and public engagement carried out by the Ministry of Education (“Ministry”). The Blueprint was developed with three specific objectives:
1.
Understanding the current performance and challenges of the Malaysian education system, with a focus on improving access to education, raising standards (quality), closing achievement gaps (equity), promoting unity amongst students, and maximising system efficiency; Establishing a clear vision and aspirations for individual students and the education system as a whole over the next 13 years; and
The approach to this Blueprint was ground-breaking in many ways. Multiple perspectives were gathered from various experts and international agencies to evaluate and assess the performance of Malaysia’s education system. This includes the World Bank, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and six local universities. The Ministry also worked with other government agencies to ensure alignment with other public policies related to education. For example, the Ministry has worked closely with the Performance Management and Delivery Unity (PEMANDU) to develop the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) 2.0 initiatives on education so they reflect the priority reforms in the Blueprint from 2013 to 2015.
2. 3.
Furthermore, the Ministry engaged with the rakyat on a scale never seen before. Over the course of a year, over 50,000 Ministry officials, teachers, principals, parents, students, and members of the public across Malaysia, were engaged via interviews, focus groups, surveys, National Dialogue townhalls, and roundtable discussions. The Ministry Outlining a comprehensive transformation programme also appointed a 12-member Malaysian panel of experts, and a for the system, including key changes to the Ministry 4-member international panel of experts to provide independent input which will allow it to meet new demands and rising into the review findings. expectations, and to ignite and support overall civil service transformation.
E-3
significant and sustained investments in educatiOn
The support and resources that a system provides to schools play a critical role in how schools perform as they enable teachers and principals to focus on their core business of delivering effective teaching and learning. A country’s investment in its education system is therefore an important measure of its commitment. The Malaysian Government has sustained high levels of investment in education over the 55 years since independence. As early as 1980, the Malaysian federal government’s spending on primary and secondary education, as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), was the highest in East Asia. In 2011, the amount spent, at 3.8% of GDP or 16% of total government spending, was not only higher than the OECD average of 3.4% of GDP and 8.7% of total public spending respectively, but also at par with or more than top-performing systems like Singapore, Japan, and South Korea (Exhibit 1). In 2012, with an education budget of RM37 billion, the Government has continued to devote the largest proportion of its budget, 16% to the Ministry. This demonstrates the very real commitment the Government has to education as a national priority.
dramatic prOgress On imprOving access tO educatiOn
The education system has made tremendous progress since 1957. At the time of Independence, over half the population had no formal schooling, while only 6% of Malaysian children had been educated to secondary level, and a paltry 1% to the post-secondary level. Five and a half decades later, access to education has been transformed beyond recognition. In 2011, Malaysia had achieved near universal enrolment at the primary level at 94%, and the percentage of students who dropped out of primary school had been significantly reduced (from 3% in 1989 to just 0.2% in 2011). Enrolment rates at the lower secondary level (Form 1 to 3) had risen to 87%. The greatest improvement was undoubtedly at upper secondary level (Form 4 to 5), where enrolment rates had almost doubled, from 45% in the 1980s, to 78% in 2011. These enrolment rates are even higher once enrolment in private schools is factored in: 96% at primary, 91% at lower secondary, and 82% at upper secondary level. These rates are higher than most developing countries, although they are still lower than that of high-performing education systems like Singapore and South Korea. In parallel, there has been rapid expansion in preschool education. Around 77% of students are now enrolled in some form of preschool education (either public or private), and the target is for universal enrolment through the Education National Key Results Area (NKRA) in the GTP. The significant improvement in access to education is echoed by a similar improvement in attainment. Youth literacy has risen from 88% in 1980 to near-universal literacy of 99% today, while adult literacy has increased even more dramatically, from less than 70% to over 92% in the same time frame. Further, the proportion of the adult population (aged 15+) with no schooling has declined, from 60% in 1950 to less than 10% in 2010, while the proportion (aged 15+) that has completed secondary education has risen from around 7% in 1950 to almost 75% over the same time period (Exhibit 2). These are achievements of which Malaysia can be proud.
EXHIBIT 1
Basic education expenditure1 as a percentage of total government expenditure for Malaysia and peers2 Percent (2008)
EXHIBIT 2
Highest educational attainment of population aged 15 and above (1950-2010) Percent of population
18 16 14 12 12
Tertiary
Secondary
Primary
No Schooling
6
11 11 9 7
OECD average 8.7%
1
7
1
2 10
2 13
2
2
3
6
8
19
9
10
13
24
15
33
31 39 39 51 56 59 61
35
38
41
43
41
38 33 39 26 22
12 2000
Thailand3 Malaysia3
Mexico
Chile
Hong Kong3
Korea
Singapore3 Indonesia3
Japan
60
56
50
44
37
32
28 1980
18
10 2005
1 Includes operating expenditure and capital/development expenditure for basic education (primary and secondary) 2 Peers based on the following categorisation: Asian Tigers (Hong Kong, Singapore, S. Korea, Japan); SEA neighbours (Indonesia, Thailand Singapore), and comparable GDP per capita (Mexico and Chile) 3 Data for 2010 Note: Data from 2008 or 2010 depending on latest available data SOURCE: Ministry of Education Malaysia; OECD – Education at a Glance 2011; Singstat; Ministry of Finance Thailand; Ministry of Finance Indonesia; Education Bureau of Hong Kong.
21 1985
15
9 2010
15 1990
13 1995
1950
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
SOURCE: Barro and Lee, 2010 (Eurostat, UN)
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Executive Summary
E-4
system remains cOmmitted tO develOping students hOlistically
The Malaysian school curriculum is committed to developing the child holistically along intellectual, spiritual, emotional, and physical dimensions, as reflected in the National Education Philosophy. Programmes and initiatives to develop non-academic components are present both during formal class time as well as through a variety of after-school co-curricular activities. For example, Islamic Education or Moral Education is compulsory for all students from Year 1 through to Form 5. The Ministry also has a requirement that every student participate in at least 1 sport, 1 club, and 1 uniformed body activity as a means of fostering individual talents and interests, along with building leadership skills. Available data suggests that student enrolment in such co-curricular activities is high.
student cOgnitive perfOrmance against internatiOnal standards
A fundamental objective of any education system is to ensure that its students are being equipped with the knowledge and skills required for success in life. Historically, the Malaysian education system, like others around the world, has emphasised the development of strong content knowledge in subjects such as science, mathematics, and language. There is, however, increasing global recognition that it is no longer enough for a student to leave school with the 3 Rs (Reading, wRiting & aRithmetic). The emphasis is no longer just on the importance of knowledge, but also on developing higher-order thinking skills. While Malaysian student performance has improved over several decades, those remarkable gains may be at risk in both relative and absolute terms. Firstly, other systems are improving student performance more rapidly, and have found ways to sustain that momentum. The gap between Malaysia’s system and these others is therefore growing. Secondly, international assessments suggest that Malaysian student performance is declining in absolute terms. Over the past two decades, international student assessments, such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), have emerged as a means of directly comparing the quality of educational outcomes across different systems. These assess a variety of cognitive skills such as application and reasoning. When Malaysia first participated in TIMSS in 1999, its average student score was higher than the international average in both Mathematics and Science. By 2007, the last published cycle of results, the system’s performance had slipped to below the international average in both Mathematics and Science with a commensurate drop in ranking. Critically, 18% and 20% of Malaysia’s students failed to meet the minimum proficiency levels in Mathematics and Science in 2007, a two to fourfold increase from 7% and 5% respectively in 2003. These students were identified as possessing only limited mastery of basic mathematical and scientific concepts. The results from PISA 2009+ (the first time Malaysia participated in this assessment) were also discouraging, with Malaysia ranking in the bottom third of 74 participating countries, below the international and OECD average (Exhibit 3). Almost 60% of the 15-year-old Malaysian students who participated in PISA failed to meet the minimum proficiency level in Mathematics, while 44% and 43% did not meet the minimum proficiency levels in Reading and Science respectively. A difference of 38 points on the PISA scale is equivalent to one year of schooling. A comparison of scores shows that 15-year-olds in Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Shanghai are performing as though they have had 3 or more years of schooling than 15-year-olds in Malaysia.
the National education Philosophy
The National Education Philosophy for Malaysia, written in 1988 and revised in 1996, enshrines the Ministry’s and Government’s vision of education as a means for the holistic development of all children: intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
“Education in Malaysia is an ongoing effort towards further developing the potential of individuals in a holistic and integrated manner, so as to produce individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, and physically balanced and harmonious, based on a firm belief in and devotion to God. Such an effort is designed to produce Malaysian citizens who are knowledgeable and competent, who possess high moral standards, and who are responsible and capable of achieving high levels of personal well-being as well as being able to contribute to the harmony and betterment of the family, the society, and the nation at large.”
E-5
timss and Pisa international assessments timss is an international assessment based on the Mathematics and Science curricula of schools around the world. It assesses students in Grades 4 (the Malaysian equivalent is Year 4) and 8 (the Malaysian equivalent is Form 2) along two aspects: content such as algebra and geometry, and cognitive skills, namely the thinking processes of knowing, applying, and reasoning. The test was first administered in 1995. Today, over 59 countries participate in the assessment which is conducted every four years. Malaysia has participated in TIMSS since 1999, although only with Form 2 students. Pisa, coordinated by the OECD, is another widely recognised international assessment. Conducted every three years, PISA aims to evaluate proficiency in Reading, Mathematics, and Science in students aged 15 years old. Its focus is not on curriculum content, but on students’ ability to apply their knowledge in real-world settings. Participant countries extend beyond OECD members, with 74 countries taking part in the most recent assessment in 2009. Malaysia participated for the first time in 2010, as part of the 2009 PISA assessment cycle.
EXHIBIT 3
comparison of malaysia’s pisa 2009+ ranking against other countries
Regional peers
1 Reading Rank 1 2 3 4 5 18 19 42 43 53 Country Shanghai-China Korea Finland Hong Kong Singapore United Kingdom OECD Average Germany Mean score 556 539 536 533 526 494 497 459 449 421
2 Mathematics Rank 1 2 3 4 5 20 21 41 42 52 Country Shanghai-China Singapore Hong Kong Korea Taiwan Austria OECD Average Slovak Republic Croatia International Average Israel Mean score 600 562 555 546 543 496 497 460 447 419
3 Science Rank 1 2 3 4 5 20 21 40 41 51 Country Shanghai-China Finland Hong Kong Singapore Japan Ireland OECD Average Czech Republic Mean score 575 554 549 542 539 508 500 470 461 425
Russian Fed. International Average Chile Thailand
… … …
… …
Greece International Average Malta Thailand
… …
…
Thailand
… …
… …
55
62
MALAYSIA
Indonesia
414
402
57
68
MALAYSIA
Indonesia
404
371
52
66
MALAYSIA
Indonesia
422
383
Note: Countries are ranked in descending order of the percentage of top performers (Level 5 or 6) SOURCE: PISA 2009+
…
…
…
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Executive Summary
E-6
excellent examples exist acrOss the system
While the most recent TIMSS and PISA results are a cause for concern, there are still numerous instances of students and schools across Malaysia that are performing on a level comparable to international standards, in terms of both academic and non-academic measures. Exhibit 4 offers a snapshot of some of these achievements. The Ministry also has awarded 66 schools with the designation of being a High Performing School (HPS). These are the best schools in Malaysia that have a distinctive character, consistently produce excellent academic and non-academic student outcomes, and are capable of competing internationally.
The system also has examples of schools, districts, and states that are improving at an unprecedented pace. For example, five years ago, Johor was one of the bottom five states in its performance on the Year 6 Primary School Education Test or Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) national examination. The state launched a comprehensive school improvement programme and was able to turn its performance around in just five years. Johor is now in the top third of all states in terms of student performance. Similarly, there are remote schools, like SK Ulu Lubai in Sarawak and SK Bakalalan in Sabah, both of which support low-income communities, that have swept Commonwealth Good Practice Awards for their impressive turnaround efforts. This suggests that there are opportunities to learn from these examples, and scale up good practices to the rest of the system.
EXHIBIT 4
examples of malaysian students’ international achievements
Jul 2012 8th International Exhibition for Young Inventors, Thailand Genius Olympiad 2012 International High School Project Fair on Environment, New York 2nd International Folk Song and Dance Festival, Georgia 5th Asian Schools Badminton Championship, Hong Kong Jun 2012 The Invention and New Product Exposition, USA The Malaysian team won a gold medal for their invention. Two 14-year old students bagged third prize in the competition. The Malaysian team of 15 performers won the Gold and Silver Diploma prizes. The Malaysian team of 16 players won 3 gold medals and 4 silver and bronze medals respectively. The Malaysian team won a gold model in the category of education inventions The Malaysian team of 200 athletes bagged a total of 100 medals, claiming the third spot overall A 17-year-old emerged as the first Malaysian champion.
4th ASEAN School Games, Indonesia May 2012 Oct 2011 Jul 2011 English Speaking Union International Public Speaking Competition, London ASEAN Primary School Sports Olympiad, Indonesia 52nd International Mathematical Olympiad, Netherlands 42nd International Physics Olympiad, Thailand Dec 2010 Nov 2009 International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS)1 World Robot Olympiad (WRO), South Korea
Team of 36 clinched second place overall, winning a total of 6 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze medals. Stellar performance by a Form 4 student who clinched the first gold medal for Malaysia. Another four students attained commendable results. A Malaysian student attained a gold medal and special prize awarded by the European Physics Society. 68 Malaysian students achieved a total of 94 gold medals and were commended as being of world-class standard. Malaysia was the overall champion, a second win in two consecutive years.
1 Australian-based independent diagnostic assessments conducted annually SOURCE: Educational Policy, Planning and Research Division, Sports Division
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challenges remain in achieving equitable student OutcOmes
An equally important objective for the system is to ensure that student outcomes are equitable. Unfortunately, to date, the outcomes have been uneven. States with a higher proportion of rural schools, like Sabah and Sarawak, on average, perform poorer than states with less rural schools. In the UPSR examinations, the gap between urban and rural schools is 4 percentage points in favour of urban schools. By the Malaysian Certificate of Education or Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), the gap has grown to 8 percentage points. Both these gaps, however, have reduced by 5 and 2 percentage points respectively over the past six years. The achievement gap between National and National-type primary schools is also closing. The difference between National schools or Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) and National-type Chinese schools or Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Cina) (SJK(C)s) is insignificant. Over the past 5 years, National-type Tamil schools or Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Tamil) (SJK(T)s) have more than halved the gap between themselves and both SJK(C)s and SKs, and are now less than 4 percentage points behind. In contrast, the gender gap is both significant and increasing, having widened over the last five years. Girls consistently outperform boys at every level; the gap in performance is already evident at UPSR level and increases over a student’s lifetime up to university level, where females comprise approximately 70% of the cohort. While this phenomenon is not unique to Malaysia, it does require attention to ensure that the country does not have a cohort of “lost boys” who either leave school early or with low attainment levels. EXHIBIT 5
Distribution of student population receiving KWAPM1 by school band
Percent of schools (2011)
Finally, the largest equity gaps remain socio-economic in origin. This has been observed using three proxies: parents’ highest level of educational attainment, states’ average household income, and the percentage of students receiving basic financial assistance under the Poor Students’ Trust Fund, or Kumpulan Wang Amanah Pelajar Miskin (KWAPM). For all three proxies, the evidence consistently demonstrates that students from poor families are less likely to perform as well as students from middle-income or high-income homes. As Exhibit 5 illustrates, only 7% of Band 1 and 2 schools have student populations where more than a third receive KWAPM, as compared to 69% of under-performing Band 6 and 7 schools.
range Of schOOling OptiOns are creating ethnicallyhOmOgeneOus envirOnments
With many public and private schooling options at the primary and secondary levels, the Malaysian education system provides an unparalleled degree of choice for parents. Concern has grown over the increasing ethnic homogenisation of schools, and the reduced opportunities for interaction with individuals from wide a range of backgrounds that homogenisation may lead to. These interactions are important as they help individuals develop a shared set of experiences and aspirations for Malaysia’s future, through which a common national identity and unity are forged. The best available data shows that more Indian and Chinese students enrolled in National-type primary schools in 2011, in comparison to enrolment 10 years ago. The proportion of Chinese students enrolled in SJK(C)s increased from 92% in 2000 to 96% in 2011. The shift for Indian students was even more dramatic, showing an increase from 47% to 56% enrolment in SJK(T)s. As such, 90% of students in SKs are now ethnically Bumiputera. At the secondary level, the presence of a single secondary school format, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK), does create convergence. Nevertheless, there are still students who receive limited exposure to diversity, such as a child who transfers from a SJK(C) to an Independent Chinese school, or one who moves from an SK to a religious secondary school. To achieve unity, it is imperative for students to interact with and learn from fellow students and teachers of every ethnicity, religion, culture, and socio-economic background. The Ministry has programmes like the Student Integration Plan for Unity, or Rancangan Integrasi Murid Untuk Perpaduan (RIMUP) which fosters interaction across different school types through co-curricular activities. A review by the Schools Inspectorate and Quality Assurance or Jemaah Nazir dan Jaminan Kualiti (JNJK) found that where RIMUP was run, there was good evidence of inter-ethnic mixing both inside and outside the classroom. However, funding for RIMUP has dropped significantly, reducing the frequency and intensity of these programmes.
100% = 2,296
3,858
42
31
56 75 17
Schools with 2/3 students receiving KWAPM
25 18
52
7
Good schools, Band 1&2
19
Average schools, Band 3,4,5 Poor schools, Band 6&7
1 Only primary schools were included, with the exception of 1,060 schools in Sabah and 418 schools in other states due to incomplete data SOURCE: Finance Division; National Key Result Area; EMIS database
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Executive Summary
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return On investment is nOt as high as desired
Malaysia’s consistently high levels of expenditure on education have resulted in almost universal access to primary education, and significant improvements in access to secondary education. However, there remains room for improvement on the dimensions of quality, equity, and unity. Exhibit 6 compares the performance of different countries in international assessments with their education spending per student. The difference between each performance band (Poor, Fair, Good,
Great, and Excellent) represents the equivalent of one year of schooling. Data as of 2010 indicates that Malaysia’s performance lags behind other countries that have similar or lower levels of expenditure per student, such as Thailand, Chile, and Armenia. This suggests that the system may not be allocating funds towards the factors that have the highest impact on student outcomes, such as the training and continuous upskilling of teachers. High-performing systems like Singapore, South Korea, and Shanghai, however, do spend more per student than Malaysia. The education system is also about to embark on a major transformation effort. Consequently, Malaysia’s expenditure levels should be maintained but the efficiency and effectiveness of how funds are allocated and spent should be reviewed.
EXHIBIT 6
country performance in international assessments relative to public per student spend per student
Universal scale score1 2009 (max, median, min)
580 560 540 520 500 480 460 440 420 400 380 360 340 320 0 0–1,000 1,000– 2,000 2,000– 3,000 3000– 4,000 4,000– 5,000 5,000– 6,000 6,000– 7,000 7,000– 8,000 8,000– 9,000 9,000– 10,000 10,000+
Kyrgyzstan Slovak Republic Chinese Taipei Shanghai
578
Singapore Korea, Rep. Australia Estonia Czech Republic
544
Hong Kong
547 531
Japan Germany France Spain Ontario Canada Slovenia Italy
Excellent 545 530
Finland UK Iceland Ireland Cyprus
New Zealand Macao SAR, China Portugal
489
Armenia
478
Turkey Thailand Mauritius Moldova Kazakhstan Colombia Tunisia Panama
Lithuania Russia
Poland Hungary Latvia Croatia Greece
486
464
Belg.Flanders Netherlands Switzerland Norway Denmark USA Sweden Austria Belg. CFB Luxembourg
531
Great
Good
483 Fair
Syria Uruguay Algeria Philippines W. Cape El Savador Jordan Azerbaijan Ghana Indonesia Georgia Morocco
455
Iran Chile Romania Mexico Malaysia2 Argentina
441
Bahrain Serbia Bulgaria
Israel Oman Saudi Arabia
Malta
458
458
422
Kuwait
Botswana
412
397
402 Poor
370
327
Public spend per student2, PPP units
1 Universal scale based on Hanushek & Woessmann methodology, to enable comparison across systems. 2 Public spend per student for basic education (pre-school, primary, and secondary school levels) for 2008 current prices Note: Malaysia 2008 public spend is US$3000 SOURCE: World Bank EdStats; IMF; UNESCO; PISA 2009+, TIMSS 2007; PIRLS 2006; Global Insight; McKinsey & Company
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▪ Efficiency: The Malaysian education system has always been well-funded, yet improvements in student outcomes have not always matched the resources channelled into the system. While the Government will maintain current levels of investment, the aspiration is to further maximise student outcomes within the current budget levels. In order to properly address the needs of all Malaysians, and to prepare the nation to perform at an international level, it is important to first envision what a highly-successful education system must accomplish, EXHIBIT 7 particularly in the Malaysian context. What kinds of students are best-prepared to meet the challenges of a 21st century economy? What Five system aspirations for the Malaysian education system kind of education prepares them for this rapidly globalising world? These aspirations comprise two aspects: firstly, those for the education system as a whole, and secondly, those for individual students. This 100% enrolment across all levels vision, and these aspirations, will set the stage for the transformation from pre-school to upper secondary by 2020 of the Malaysian education system.
aspiratiOns fOr the malaysian educatiOn system and malaysian students
Access Quality Equity Unity
system aspirations
There are five outcomes that this Blueprint aspires to for the Malaysian education system as a whole: access, quality, equity, unity, and efficiency (Exhibit 7). These outcomes are in line with the aspirations articulated by participants during the National Dialogue, and are comparable to outcomes set by other high-performing education systems. Action across all five areas is important, and no initiative in one area should detract from or undermine progress in another. ▪ Access: Every child in Malaysia deserves equal access to an education that will enable that child to achieve his or her potential. The Ministry thus aspires to ensure universal access and full enrolment of all children from preschool through to upper secondary school level (Form 5) by 2020. ▪ Quality: All children will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education that is uniquely Malaysian and comparable to the best international systems. The aspiration is for Malaysia to be in the top third of countries in terms of performance in international assessments, as measured by outcomes in TIMSS and PISA, within 15 years. (TIMSS and PISA currently test for literacy, Mathematics, and Science only. Additional assessments that address other dimensions of quality that are relevant to the Malaysian context may be included as they are developed and become accepted international standards). ▪ Equity: Top-performing school systems deliver the best possible education for every child, regardless of geography, gender, or socioeconomic background. The Ministry aspires to halve the current urban-rural, socio-economic, and gender achievement gaps by 2020. ▪ Unity: As students spend over a quarter of their time in school from the ages of 7 t0 17, schools are in a key position to foster unity. Through interacting with individuals from a range of socioeconomic, religious, and ethnic backgrounds—and learning to understand, accept and embrace differences—a shared set of experiences and aspirations for Malaysia’s future can be built. The Ministry aspires to create a system where students have opportunities to build these shared experiences and aspirations that form the foundation for unity.
Top third of countries in international assessments such as PISA and TIMSS in 15 years 50% reduction in achievement gaps (urban-rural, socioeconomic and gender) by 2020 An education system that gives children shared values and experiences by embracing diversity
Efficiency
A system which maximises student outcomes within current budget
student aspirations
Beyond these system-wide outcomes, stakeholders were also very clear on what “quality” should be at the individual level. In a nutshell, educators, parents, students, and other members of the public were united in a vision of education as a vehicle for the holistic development of children–intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. This is the same vision that has underscored all education improvement efforts since the National Education Philosophy for Malaysia was written in 1988. Looking ahead, the Blueprint will continue to use the National Education Philosophy’s vision of a balanced education as its foundation for individual student aspirations. It has also drawn on learnings from other high-performing systems to develop a refined articulation of the specific skills and attributes that students would need to thrive in tomorrow’s economy and globalised world (Exhibit 8): ▪ Knowledge: At the most basic level, every child will be fully literate and numerate. Beyond this, it is important that students master core subjects such as Mathematics and Science, and are informed with a rounded general knowledge of Malaysia, Asia, and the world—their histories, people, and geography. Students will also be encouraged to develop their knowledge and skills in other areas such as the arts, music, and sports.
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Executive Summary
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▪ Thinking skills: Every child will learn how to continue acquiring knowledge throughout their lives (instilling a love for inquiry and lifelong learning), to be able to connect different pieces of knowledge, and, most importantly in a knowledge-based economy, to create new knowledge. Every child will master a range of important cognitive skills, including problem-solving, reasoning,
conflicts peacefully, to employ sound judgement and principles during critical moments, and to have the courage to do what is right. The education system also seeks to nurture caring individuals who gainfully contribute to the betterment of the community and nation. ▪ National identity: An unshakeable sense of national identity, tied to the principles of the Rukunegara, is necessary for Malaysia’s success and future. Every child will proudly identify as Malaysian, irrespective of ethnicity, religion or socio-economic status. Achieving this patriotism requires that every child understands the country’s history, and share common aspirations for the future. Establishing a true national identity also requires a strong sense of inclusiveness. This can be achieved through not only learning to understand and accept diversity, but to embrace it.
EXHIBIT 8
Six key attributes needed by every student to be globally competitive Every student will have …
L Thinking skills K nowledge
eadership skills
B ilingual proficiency E thics and spirituality
eleven shifts tO transfOrm the system
Over the course of the past year, the Ministry has sought input from a broad range of stakeholders, from educationists and academics to parents and students, on what would be required to deliver on the aspirations identified above. Given the volume of input, there was a surprisingly high degree of consensus on some topics such as the importance of raising the quality of teachers. There were also topics, such as the future of language education, where there were mixed responses. The Ministry reviewed these suggestions carefully, and integrated them into the Blueprint based on four criteria. Firstly, any action undertaken had to contribute to the system and student aspirations described above. This meant that initiatives that delivered one outcome at the expense of another, or that would lead to a different aspiration, were deprioritised. Secondly, the Ministry drew on international evidence to identify and prioritise the factors that would make the most difference in system and student improvement. Thirdly, the proposals had to be relevant to the system’s starting point and be within the Ministry’s ability to deliver. Initiatives were thus sequenced to evolve in complexity as the capabilities and capacity of the Ministry officers, teachers, and school leaders were developed. Fourthly, the benefits of implementing the proposal had to outweigh the financial and operational downsides.
National identity
… aligned with the National Education Philosophy
creative thinking, and innovation. This is an area where the system has historically fallen short, with students being less able than they should be in applying knowledge and thinking critically outside familiar academic contexts. ▪ Leadership skills: In our increasingly inter-connected world, being able to lead and work effectively with others is critical. The education system will help every student reach his or her full potential by creating formal and informal opportunities for students to work in teams, and to take on leadership roles. In the context of the education system, leadership encompasses four dimensions: entrepreneurship, resilience, emotional intelligence, and strong communication skills.
The Ministry has identified 11 shifts that will need to occur to deliver the step change in outcomes envisioned by all Malaysians. Each shift will address at least one of the five system outcomes of access, quality, equity, unity, and efficiency, with quality as the common underlying focus across all shifts due to the fact that this is the dimension which requires the most urgent attention. Some of these shifts represent a change in strategy and direction. Others represent operational changes in the way ▪ Bilingual Proficiency: Every child will be, at minimum, operationally proficient in Bahasa Malaysia as the national language the Ministry and schools have historically implemented existing policies. Regardless of whether it is a strategic or operational shift, they all and language of unity, and in English as the international language of communication. This means that upon leaving school, the student represent a move away from current practices. should be able to work in both a Bahasa Malaysia and English language environment. The Ministry will also encourage all students Collectively, these shifts address every stakeholder and the main concerns of the public. The Ministry hopes that this inclusiveness to learn an additional language. will provide the basis for a common focus that can be embraced by all Malaysians. The following section summarises each of these shifts and ▪ Ethics and Spirituality: The education system will inculcate provides examples of game-changing initiatives that will be launched. strong ethics and spirituality in every child to prepare them to rise to the challenges they will inevitably face in adult life, to resolve
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shift 1: provide equal access to quality education of an international standard why it is needed: the foundation for the success of a school system lies in its definition of what its students must know, understand, and be able to do. malaysian students have historically excelled at reproducing subject content. however, this skill is less valuable in today’s ever-changing economy. instead, students need to be able to reason, to extrapolate, and to creatively apply their knowledge in novel, unfamiliar settings. they also need attributes such as leadership to be globally competitive. as the timss and pisa international assessments have demonstrated, our students struggle with higher-order thinking skills. surveys of malaysian and multinational companies also suggest that our students fall short on the soft skills looked for by prospective employers. at the same time, education is often seen as an enabler for social mobility, enabling children born in poor families to earn higher incomes as adults. as long as socio-economic status remains the greatest predictor of academic success, and the factor behind the largest of all student outcome gaps in malaysia, this promise will remain elusive for many malaysians. what success will look like. firstly, standards for student outcomes and learning practices will be benchmarked and aligned with that of high-performing education systems so that the students malaysia produce are globally competitive. secondly, students who need more help will be given access to the right levels of support to succeed at school.
Benchmark the learning of languages, Mathematics, and Science to international standards. Every student will receive a strong grounding in literacy and numeracy—the foundational skills for all further learning—as well as in Science, a key growth area for the Malaysian economy. They will be taught a curriculum that has been benchmarked to the standards of high-performing education systems, and this benchmarking will be validated by an independent party to build parents’ confidence. The Ministry will also set and monitor performance targets for its performance on the PISA and TIMSS international assessments. Additional assessments that address other dimensions of quality that are relevant to the Malaysian context may be added as they are developed, and become accepted international standards. Launch new Secondary School Standard Curriculum or Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Menengah (KSSM) and revised Primary School Standard Curriculum or Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah (KSSR) in 2017. The school curriculum at both primary and secondary levels will be revised to embed a balanced set of knowledge and skills such as creative thinking, innovation, problemsolving, and leadership. This curriculum will still stress studentcentred and differentiated teaching, but have a greater emphasis on problem-based and project-based work, a streamlined set of subjects
or themes, and formative assessments. The new curriculum will also support an accelerated learning pathway for high-performing students to complete SPM in four rather than five years, and UPSR in five rather than six years. Additionally, clear learning standards will be laid out so that students and parents understand the progress expected within each year of schooling. Revamp national examinations and school-based assessments to gradually increase percentage of questions that test higher-order thinking. By 2016, higher-order thinking questions will make up 80% of questions for UPSR, 80% of the Form 3 central assessment, 75% of the questions for SPM core subjects and 50% of the questions for SPM elective subjects. This change in examination design means that teachers will focus less on predicting what topics and questions will come out and drilling for content recall. Instead, students will be trained to think critically and to apply their knowledge in different settings. Similarly, school-based assessments will also shift their focus to testing for higher-order thinking skills. Raise quality of all preschools and encourage universal enrolment by 2020. Every child aged 5+ will be enrolled in a registered preschool, be it public or private. Low-income families that would otherwise not be able to afford preschool will receive need-based financial support from the Ministry. All preschools will follow a set of national quality standards, including a provision that every preschool teacher has a minimum diploma qualification. These schools will also be inspected regularly by the Ministry or the Early Childhood Care and Education Council of Malaysia to ensure that they meet minimum standards. Move from 6 to 11 years of compulsory schooling, starting at age 6+, supported by targeted retention programmes and job-ready vocational training. By 2020, every student will leave formal schooling with a minimum SPM or equivalent vocational qualification. This means that compulsory schooling will increase from 6 to 11 years, and that approximately 5%, 10%, and 20% more students will be enrolled at the primary, lower, and upper secondary levels respectively (based on 2011 enrolment numbers for public and private schools). Students who are at risk of dropping out will be supported through a variety of retention initiatives, from remedial coaching to parent and student counselling. Students will also be able to choose from a variety of education pathways based on their specific interests and potential. This includes expanded vocational streams that offer industry-recognised qualifications and hands-on practicum opportunities, through close partnerships with the private sector. Increase investment in physical and teaching resources for students with specific needs. Students from indigenous and other minority groups, as well as students with physical or learning disabilities, will receive more support in order to level the playing field. By 2025, these students will all go to schools with the facilities and equipment needed to create a conducive and supportive learning environment. They will be taught by teachers who have received additional training to help them understand their students’ specific contexts and challenges, and the teaching strategies required to address them. These students will also be supported by an expanded network of counsellors, therapists, and teaching assistants, as required.
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Executive Summary
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shift 2: ensure every child is proficient in bahasa malaysia and english language why it is needed: malaysia’s multicultural society makes it a natural environment for producing students who are proficient in more than one language. the current system produces commendably strong bahasa malaysia learning outcomes. there is widespread operational proficiency in bahasa malaysia among students, with 75% students achieving a minimum credit in the 2010 spm examination. bahasa malaysia also consistently shows the strongest pass rates out of the core subjects in the upsr, lower secondary evaluation or Penilaian Menengah Rendah (pmr), and spm examinations. Operational proficiency in english is, however, much lower. Only 28% of students achieved a minimum credit in the 2011 spm english paper against cambridge 1119 standards. poor english proficiency among fresh graduates has, since 2006, also been consistently ranked as one of the top five issues facing malaysian employers. as the ethnic groups move through different primary schools, there are differences in outcomes by ethnicity. bumiputera students perform very strongly on bahasa malaysia proficiency with 84% achieving a minimum credit at spm, in contrast to 63% of chinese students, and 57% of indian students. for english, only 23% bumiputera, 42% chinese, and 35% tamil students score at a level equivalent to a cambridge 1119 credit or above (all results based on the 2010 spm examination). what success will look like: boosting all students’ proficiency in bahasa malaysia and english language will be the most immediate priority. after three years of schooling, every child will achieve 100% basic literacy in bahasa malaysia and english language. by the end of form five, 90% of students will score a minimum of a credit in spm bahasa malaysia, and 70% in spm english (against cambridge 1119 standards). further, the provision of other language subjects at all primary and secondary schools will be strengthened so that every child can have the opportunity to learn an additional language by 2025.
Introduce a standard Bahasa Malaysia curriculum at the primary level, with intensive remedial support for struggling students. Every primary school student, regardless of whether they are in a National or National-type school, will use a standard Bahasa Malaysia curriculum starting from the Year 4 cohort in 2014. At National-type schools, students who are struggling to cope with this change will receive remedial after-school Bahasa Malaysia classes from Years 4 to 6 (after the completion of the Literacy and Numeracy Screening (LINUS) 2.0 programme). The objective is to intervene early and often to allow for the removal of the “Remove” or Peralihan class from 2017 onwards.
Expand the LINUS programme to include English literacy. Every student in Years 1 to 3 will be screened twice a year to determine if they are progressing in Bahasa Malaysia and English literacy at an expected pace. Students who fall behind will be given remedial coaching until they are able to return to the mainstream curriculum. Teachers working with such students will also receive dedicated coaching from district level teacher coaches. Upskill English teachers and expand opportunities for greater exposure to the language. Every student will be taught English by a teacher who is proficient according to international standards. This will be achieved by having all 70,000 English teachers pass the Cambridge Placement Test (CPT) within two years. Teachers who have yet to meet this standard will receive intensive upskilling. Beyond that, students will have greater exposure to the language, for example via an expanded, compulsory English Literature module at the secondary level. International research indicates that more exposure time than the current 15-20% is required for students to achieve operational proficiency. Encourage every child to learn an additional language by 2025. Currently, many students already learn additional languages apart from Bahasa Malaysia and English language, which equip them well for entering the workforce in a globalising world. The aspiration is therefore for every child to have the opportunity to learn an additional language from primary through to secondary school. During the early years, the Ministry will focus on building up its cadre of Chinese, Tamil, and Arabic language teachers to ensure that the supply of teachers matches student demand. As the system builds up capacity and capability, the Ministry will also expand the provision of other important languages such as Spanish, French, and Japanese.
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shift 3: develop values-driven malaysians why it is needed: today’s students will inherit a world fraught with challenges, from environmental degradation to armed conflict, on a scale that has never been seen before. successfully navigating these issues will not only require students to have leadership skills, but strong universal values such as integrity, compassion, justice, and altruism, to guide them in making ethical decisions. at the same time, it is important to balance the development of global citizenship with a strong national identity.
and underlying philosophies of Islam and other main religions in Malaysia. Similarly, for non-Muslim students, Moral Education will include an understanding of the core values of all main religions in Malaysia. The Ministry will also look into having Moral and Islamic Education students share certain classes together when common universal values are taught. Develop students holistically by reinforcing the requirement for every student to participate in 1 Sport, 1 Club, and 1 Uniformed Body. Co-curricular involvement provides students with opportunities to develop their individual talents and interests outside of a formal classroom setting. Such activities also provide excellent leadership opportunities for students. Every child will therefore still be expected to participate in at least 1 sport, 1 club, and 1 uniformed body. The Ministry will also look into making participation a requirement for graduation and scholarships for further education. To improve the quality of activities offered at each school, the Ministry will provide targeted training to teachers who act as advisors for these different activities, and partner with more community organisations and the private sector in the delivery of these programmes.
what success will look like: every student leaves school as a global citizen imbued with core, universal values and a strong malaysian identity. the values they have learnt are applied in their day to day lives, leading to more civic behaviour such as an increase in volunteerism; a willingness to embrace peoples of other nationalities, religions and ethnicities; and a reduction in corruption and crime. every student also leaves school prepared to act as a leader, whether in their own lives and families, or as part Enhance and scale up RIMUP from 2016 to facilitate interaction across school types. The Ministry currently runs of the broader community and nation.
Strengthen Islamic Education, Moral Education and civics elements by 2017. The new KSSM will require that every primary and secondary school student participate in community service. For secondary school students, this community service element will be a pre-requisite for graduation. Islamic Education curriculum for Muslim students will include a greater focus on understanding the core values
a cross-school activity programme, RIMUP, to foster greater interaction across students from different school types. In the future, the frequency and intensity of the programme will be increased and targeted at schools with more homogeneous student populations, such as National-type and religious schools. The Ministry will also expand this programme to include private schools.
Image by esharkj, Flickr CC 2.0
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Executive Summary
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shift 4: transform teaching into the profession of choice why it is needed: international research shows that teacher quality is the most significant school-based factor in determining student outcomes. the quality of a system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers. while there are certainly many excellent teachers in the malaysian education system, a 2011 research study found that only 50% of lessons are being delivered in an effective manner. this means that the lessons did not sufficiently engage students, and followed a more passive, lecture format of content delivery. these lessons focused on achieving surface-level content understanding, instead of higher-order thinking skills. this statistic is particularly challenging as an estimated 60% of today’s teachers will still be teaching in 20 years’ time. what success will look like: teaching will be a prestigious, elite profession that only recruits from the top 30% of graduates in the country. teachers will receive the best training possible, from the time they enter their teacher training programmes, through to the point of retirement. they will have access to exciting career development opportunities across several distinct pathways, with progression based on competency and performance, not tenure. there will be a peer-led culture of excellence wherein teachers mentor one another, develop and share best practices and hold their peers accountable for meeting professional standards.
peers including teacher coaches, senior teachers, and principals to disseminate best practices. The training will allow teachers to continuously build their skill levels against each of the competencies expected of a teacher. The Teacher Education Division or Bahagian Pendidikan Guru (BPG) will be responsible for providing this CPD. Focus teachers on their core function of teaching from 2013. Teachers will enjoy a reduced administrative burden, so that they can focus the majority of their time on their core function of teaching. This will be achieved by streamlining and simplifying existing data collection and management processes. Some administrative functions will also be moved to a centralised service centre or to a dedicated administrative teacher at the school level. Implement competency and performance-based career progression by 2016. Teachers will be assessed annually by their principals, with input potentially being provided by peers. This assessment will be done using a new evaluation instrument that focuses on teachers’ ability to deliver effective instruction in and out of the classroom. This new tool is more reflective of the fact that a teacher’s primary role is helping students learn. Highperforming teachers will enjoy faster career progression. The very best teachers may even be promoted from DG41 to DG54 in a faster time period than the current average promotion time of 25 years. Teachers who are struggling to meet the minimum quality will receive extra coaching support to help them get back on track. Teachers who consistently underperform even with the extra support will be redeployed to other school-based functions such as administration, discipline management or co-curricular management. Over time, the Ministry will gradually reduce the total cohort size of teachers through improvements in teacher time utilisation and productivity.
Enhance pathways for teachers into leadership, master teaching and subject specialist roles by 2016. Teachers Raise the entry bar for teachers from 2013 to be amongst will also be able to pursue attractive pathways based on their top 30% of graduates: In the future, only the best candidates will be recruited as teachers. This means that the Ministry will rigorously performance, potential and interests. For example, they may wish enforce entry standards to ensure that 100% of every teacher training to pursue a leadership role at the school, district, state, or federal level. They may choose to become subject specialists focused on intake meet the minimum academic requirement. The Ministry developing curriculum, assessment, and training programmes for will also work with the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) to the broader system. They may work as master teachers in schools. ensure that the same standards are put in place in the Public Higher Regardless of the pathway chosen, the commitment to investing in Education Institutes or Institut Pengajian Tinggi Awam (IPTAs) their development and in building an environment of professional teacher training programmes. Additionally, the Ministry will work with Teacher Education Institutes or Institut Pendidikan Guru (IPGs) accountability will be maintained across their careers. There will also and MOHE to ensure that the quality of the curriculum and lecturers be comparable opportunities for promotion across these pathways. are upgraded to deliver the kind of teachers desired. The Ministry Develop a peer-led culture of professional excellence will also introduce more stringent graduation requirements so that and certification process by 2025. The Ministry will focus on only the best trainees can graduate and be guaranteed placement in ensuring that all teachers fully utilise the flexibilities accorded to Malaysian schools. them over professional issues related to curriculum timetabling and lesson organisation, pedagogical approaches and school-based Upgrade the quality of continuous professional assessment. The Ministry will also facilitate teacher-driven CPD development (CPD) from 2013. Teachers will receive greater support to help them achieve their full potential. When they enter the activities to enable teachers to mentor one another, develop and disseminate best practices and hold each other accountable for profession, teachers will develop an individualised CPD programme meeting professional standards. As an extension of the competencywith their supervisors. This CPD programme will include common based progression system, the Ministry may also consider setting training requirements expected of all teachers, as well as electives up a certification scheme linked to the mastery of the teacher that teachers can pursue based on their own developmental needs. competencies described above. As with all measures, the Ministry will It will mostly be run at school, as school-based training has proven work collaboratively with teacher representatives to achieve these to be the most effective form of CPD. It will use a network of aims.
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eleven shifts tO transfOrm the system
Eleven shifts to transform the system
SHIFTS
PROVIDE EQUAL ACCESS TO QUALITY EDUCATION OF AN INTERNATIONAL STANDARD
ENSURE EVERY CHILD IS PROFICIENT IN BAHASA MALAYSIA AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE
DEVELOP VALUES-DRIVEN MALAYSIANS
TRANSFORM TEACHING INTO THE PROFESSION OF CHOICE
ENSURE HIGHPERFORMING SCHOOL LEADERS IN EVERY SCHOOL
▪ Benchmark the learning of languages, Mathematics and Science to international standards ▪ Launch new Secondary (KSSM) and revised Primary Curriculum (KSSR) in 2017 ▪ Revamp examinations and assessments to increase focus on testing higher-order thinking skills by 2016 ▪ Raise quality of preschools and push to 100% enrolment by 2020 ▪ Move from 6 to 11 years of compulsory schooling, starting at age 6+; supported by retention initiatives and job-ready vocational training ▪ Increase investment in physical and teaching resources for students with specific needs
▪ Introduce a common Bahasa Malaysia curriculum at the primary level, with earlier intensive remedial support for students that struggle to allow for removal of peralihan class ▪ Expand the LINUS programme to include English language literacy ▪ Upskill English language teachers and expand opportunities for greater exposure to English language ▪ Encourage every child to learn an additional language by 2025
▪ Strengthen civics elements by making community service a pre-requisite to graduation by 2017 ▪ Enhance Islamic and Moral Education with greater focus on core values and underlying philosophies of major religions by 2017 ▪ Develop students holistically by reinforcing requirement to participate in 1 Sport, 1 Club and 1 Uniformed Body ▪ Enhance and expand RIMUP from 2016 to facilitate interaction across school types, ethnicities and socioeconomic groups
▪ Raise entry bar for teachers from 2013 to be amongst top 30% of graduates ▪ Upgrade the quality and personalisation of CPD from 2013 with greater emphasis on schoolbased training ▪ Focus teachers on their core function of teaching from 2013 by reducing administration burdens ▪ Implement competency and performance-based career progression by 2016 ▪ Enhance pathways for teachers into leadership, master teaching and subject specialist roles by 2016 ▪ Peer-led culture of excellence and certification process by 2025
▪ Competency-based selection criteria and enhanced succession planning processes for principals from 2013 ▪ New Principal Career Package rolled-out in waves from 2013, with greater support (for example via coaches, on-boarding programmes), greater operational flexibility for school improvement, curriculum and cocurricular planning, and sharper accountability for improving student outcomes
SHIFT
1
2
3
4
5
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Executive Summary
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EMPOWER JPNs, PPDs, AND SCHOOLS TO CUSTOMISE SOLUTIONS BASED ON NEED
LEVERAGE ICT TO SCALE UP QUALITY LEARNING ACROSS MALAYSIA
TRANSFORM MINISTRY DELIVERY CAPABILITIES AND CAPACITY
PARTNER WITH PARENTS, COMMUNITY, AND PRIVATE SECTOR AT SCALE
MAXIMISE STUDENT OUTCOMES FOR EVERY RINGGIT
INCREASE TRANSPARENCY FOR DIRECT PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY
▪ Accelerate school improvement through systematic, districtled programmes in all states by 2014 ▪ Allow greater schoolbased management and autonomy, including greater operational flexibility over budget allocation and curriculum implementation, starting with the best performing and most improved schools ▪ Ensure 100% of schools meet basic infrastructure requirements by 2015, starting with Sabah and Sarawak
▪ Provide internet access and virtual learning environment via 1BestariNet for all 10,000 schools by 2013 ▪ Augment online best practices content starting with a video library of best teachers delivering lessons in critical subjects in 2013 ▪ Maximise use of ICT for distance and selfpaced learning to expand capacity and allow for more customised learning
▪ Empower JPNs and PPDs through greater decision making power over budget and personnel while also holding them accountable for common KPIs from 2013 ▪ Deploy almost 2,500 more personnel from Head Office and JPNs to PPDs to better support schools by 2014 ▪ Strengthen leadership capabilities in pivotal 150-200 leadership roles from 2013 ▪ Strengthen key central functions and rationalise structure of Ministry from 2016
▪ Equip every parent to support their child's learning via a parent engagement toolkit and online access to their child's in-school progress (SAPS system) ▪ Invite every PIBG to provide input on contextualisation of curriculum and teacher quality from 2016 ▪ Expand Trust School model to 500 schools by 2025 by including alumni groups and NGOs as potential sponsors
▪ Link every programme to clear student outcomes and annually rationalise programmes that have low impact; align to government’s overall shift towards outcome-based budgeting ▪ Capture efficiency opportunities, with funding reallocated to the most critical areas such as teacher training and upskilling
▪ Publish an annual public report on progress against Blueprint targets and initiatives, starting for the year 2013 ▪ Conduct comprehensive stocktakes in 2015, 2020 and 2025 to ensure Blueprint remains relevant by incorporating stakeholder feedback and accounting for an ever evolving external environment
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9 10 11
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shift 5: ensure high-performing school leaders in every school why it is needed: the quality of school leaders is the second biggest school-based factor in determining student outcomes, after teacher quality. international research on school leadership shows that an outstanding principal—one who is focused on instructional and not administrative leadership—can raise student outcomes by as much as 20%. the current selection criteria is, however, driven primarily by tenure rather than leadership competency. additionally, 55% of today’s principals received no preparatory or induction training before or during their formative first three years of principalship. this means that principals may enter, ill-prepared for their new role. with 40% of principals due to retire within the next five years, there is an opportunity to upgrade the cohort. what success will look like: every school will have a highperforming principal who is relentless in his/her focus on improving student outcomes, both academic and nonacademic. the best principals will be given incentives to serve in the weakest schools, and will serve as mentors for the broader community. further, the leadership base in each school will be strengthened with assistant principals, subject heads, and department heads being developed to act as instructional leaders in their own right.
Enhance selection criteria and succession planning processes for principals from 2013. The Ministry will move from a tenure-based selection criteria to one that is focused on the demonstration of leadership competencies. Every principal will also be required to complete the National Professional Qualification for Educational Leaders (NPQEL) at Institut Aminuddin Baki (IAB) before they can be appointed. In doing so, the average age of a principal is expected to drop, allowing principals to serve for longer periods in each school and in the system as a whole. Further, the Ministry will institute a succession planning process that identifies and cultivates highpotential individuals to ensure that there is a ready pool of candidates
that can be called upon as soon as an opening is available. Once these mechanisms have been set up, the Ministry will expand their planning focus to include assistant principals, as well as subject and department heads. Roll out a New Principal Career Package in waves from 2013 with greater support and sharper accountability for improving student outcomes. As with teachers, principals will receive greater support to help them achieve their full potential and will therefore be held more accountable for the delivery of higher student outcomes. Soon-to-be appointed principals will benefit from a new on-boarding programme where they spend one month under the mentorship of the principal who will be leaving. They will also enjoy a set period of coaching and mentoring from an experienced principal or district School Improvement Partner (SiPartner+) once they have formally started their new role as principal. These individualised opportunities for CPD will not stop in their first year, but remain a resource that principals can draw on for constant professional renewal. IAB will also ensure that comparable CPD opportunities are available to assistant principals, subject heads, and department heads. Principals will have the flexibility to serve at a primary or secondary school through a new, common civil service track. They will be assessed annually on a new evaluation instrument that focuses on their leadership abilities and improvement of student outcomes. As with teachers, highperforming principals will enjoy faster career progression opportunities. Incentives will also be revised to encourage high-performing principals to take up positions in rural and/or underperforming schools. Principals who struggle to meet the minimum standard will receive extra coaching support and principals who consistently underperform despite this concerted support will be redeployed back to a teaching position in another school. All school leaders (principals, assistant principals, department heads and subject heads) will be prepared to fully utilise the decision-making flexibilities accorded to them. This includes instructional leadership matters such as school improvement planning and curriculum and cocurricular planning, as well as administrative leadership matters such as allocation of school funds. As with teachers, the aspiration is to create a peer-led culture of professional excellence wherein school leaders mentor and train one another, develop and disseminate best practices and hold their peers accountable for meeting professional standards.
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shift 6: empower jpns, ppds, and schools to customise solutions based on need why it is needed: both national and international data suggest that malaysian schools are spread across a wide performance spectrum. for example, in the 2009+ pisa, 7% of participating schools were graded as good, 13% as fair, and 80% as poor. historically, many programmes have been designed according to a “one-size-fits-all” model. international evidence suggests that different sets of interventions are required in order to best serve schools at different performance levels. what success will look like: every school, regardless of location, size, or type, will provide its students with a good, holistic education. this not only means that there will be no underperforming (bands 6 or 7) schools in the country by 2020, but also that more schools will be recognised as high performing or cluster schools based on their performance. the amount of financial and operational support provided to each school will depend on its specific needs. state, district and school leaders will also have greater decision making power over day-to-day operations to tailor interventions based on the school’s context and enable greater schoolbased management.
Accelerate school improvement through systematic, districtled programmes rolled-out across all states by 2014. Building off the success of the GTP 1.0 School Improvement Programme, every District Education Office or Pejabat Pelajaran Daerah (PPD) will be empowered to tailor the support provided to schools on dimensions from student attendance through to principal and teacher deployment. Resources can then be directed to where they are most needed. This includes employing full-time teacher and principal coaches to support principals and teachers in lower-performing schools (Bands 5, 6, and 7). At the same time, the Ministry will ensure that all schools and districts remain aligned to the Ministry’s strategic priorities through
the roll out of a common set of Key Performance Indications (KPIs). This programme will be piloted in Kedah and Sabah from January 2013, with implementation in all districts by January 2014. Allow greater school-based management and autonomy for schools that meet a minimum performance criteria. In the future, all schools will be responsible for operational decision making in terms of budget allocation and curriculum implementation. For example, principals will have full authority over how they spend the student per capita grant and on how they design the school timetable. However, this process will occur in waves, starting with High Performing and Cluster Schools (in recognition of their academic and non-academic achievements), and Trust Schools (in recognition of their innovative public-private partnership delivery model). Over time, more and more schools will be granted these decision rights based on their performance. This increased emphasis on school-based management will also be accompanied by sharper accountability on the part of school principals. Ensure 100% of schools meet basic infrastructure requirements by 2015, starting with Sabah and Sarawak. Every school in Malaysia, regardless of location, size, or type, will meet a set of minimum infrastructure requirements to create a safe, hygienic, and conducive environment for learning. This includes access to clean, treated water; at least 12-hours of electricity per day, along with sufficient toilets, classrooms, tables, and chairs for the student and teacher population. This process will start with the upgrading of all schools to fulfil basic infrastructure standards by 2015, starting with the two states—Sabah and Sarawak—that currently face the greatest infrastructure challenges. Once all schools have met basic infrastructure standards, the Ministry will proceed to invest in another wave of upgrades to meet baseline requirements for delivering the curriculum effectively such as Science laboratories and Living Skills workshops.
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shift 7: leverage ict to scale up quality learning across malaysia why it is needed: the ministry has spent more than rm6 billion on information and communication technology (ict) over the past decade in education initiatives such as smart schools—one of the most capital-intensive investments the system has undertaken. however, ict usage in schools continues to lag expectations—both in terms of quantity and quality. for example, a 2010 ministry study found that approximately 80% of teachers spend less than one hour a week using ict, and only a third of students perceive their teachers to be using ict regularly. critically, the 2012 unescO review found that ict usage has not gone much further than the use of word-processing applications as an instructional tool. ict has tremendous potential to accelerate the learning of a wide range of knowledge and thinking skills. however, this potential has not yet been achieved. what success will look like: across all 10,000 schools in malaysia, ict will enhance how teaching and learning happens. students will be able to access a wider range of content that is more engaging and interactive. they will be able to learn some lessons at their own pace, and will have fewer limitations in what they choose to study through distance-learning programmes. teachers and principals will have access to both national and international learning resources and communities to help them improve their practice. ict will be a ubiquitous part of schooling life, with no urban-rural divide, and with all teachers and students equipped with the skills necessary to use this technology meaningfully.
Provide internet access and virtual learning environments via 1BestariNet for all 10,000 schools by 2013. In the very near future, every student will have access to a 4G network at their school through 1BestariNet. This network will serve as the basis for the creation of a virtual learning platform that can be used by teachers, students and parents to share learning resources, run interactive lessons, and communicate virtually. To maximise the impact from investment, the Ministry will also invest in ICT-competency training for all teachers, and gradually improve the device-to-student ratio from approximately 1:30 in 2011 to 1:10 by 2020. In order to remain cost-efficient, the Ministry will invest in fit-for-purpose devices such as basic computers or low-cost laptops. It will also experiment with utilising new, less resource-intensive alternatives for ICT facilities compared to current computer labs, such as a lending library for notebooks and computers-on-wheels.
Augment online content to share best practices starting with a video library in 2013 of Guru Cemerlang delivering lessons in Science, Mathematics, Bahasa Malaysia, and English language. Teachers will be able to access even more exemplary teaching resources online. This will begin with a video library in 2013 of the top Guru Cemerlang delivering daily lessons in important subjects of Science, Mathematics, Bahasa Malaysia, and English language. Other subjects will be added to the video library over time. This resource can be used by teachers for inspiration, or even by students as a revision tool. Maximise use of ICT for distance and self-paced learning to expand access to high-quality teaching regardless of location or student skill level. In the future, students will enjoy greater personalisation of their educational experience. They will be able to pursue subjects that are not offered at their own school and learn directly under the best teachers in the country through distance learning programmes. They will also be able to learn at their own pace, with teachers acting as facilitators rather than direct content providers. Pilot programmes for these innovations will be rolled out from 2016, with successful programmes scaled up nationwide.
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shift 8: transform ministry delivery capabilities and capacity why it is needed: malaysia’s education delivery network is extensive. it employs approximately 6,800 officials and support staff at the federal level, almost 6,400 at the state level, and a further 6,000 at the district level. this is in addition to approximately 420,000 principals and teachers in schools, and more than 13,100 officials and support staff in ipgs, iab, and matriculation colleges. implementing policy across a network of this size is complex. issues identified include overlaps in the responsibilities of the federal, state, and district levels; limited coordination across divisions and administrative levels; policies that are sometimes rolled-out with inconsistent information or insufficient support; and weak outcome-based monitoring and follow-through. the ppd, in particular, has been identified by the ministry as a key point in the education delivery chain. ppds were historically conceived as an administrative arm of the federal and state levels. as the needs of schools have evolved, however, so too has the scope of activities expected of the ppds. as the closest ministry entity to schools, ppds are now expected to be very hands-on. they should provide direct support to school leaders and proactively manage school performance to ensure student outcomes improve. however, the ministry’s resourcing structure has yet to shift to meet this demand, resulting in schools receiving uneven levels of support. what success will look like: the transformed ministry will have strong leaders at every level, new processes and structures, and a culture of high performance. the roles of the federal, state and district levels will be streamlined, with the federal or head Office focused on policy development and macro-level planning, and the state education departments or Jabatan Pelajaran Negeri (jpns) and ppds strengthened to drive day-today implementation. the organisational structure will be rationalised with more personnel deployed to the frontlines. these measures should yield more consistent and effective policy implementation across all states and districts.
Empower JPNs and PPDs through greater decision-making power over budget and personnel from 2013, and greater accountability for improving student outcomes. The Ministry will streamline roles and responsibilities across federal, state, and district levels and move towards a more decentralised system of operations. JPNs and PPDs will increasingly be able to make key operational decisions in budgeting, such as maintenance allocations for schools, and in personnel, such as the appointment of principals. Due to this increased operational flexibility, JPNs and PPDs will be held accountable against a common set of KPIs that align with the system targets of access, quality, equity, unity, and efficiency. To support district and state officers in delivering on these new responsibilities, the Ministry will invest more in their continuous professional development. Deploy almost 2,500 more personnel from the Ministry and JPNs to PPDs in order to better support schools by 2014. Schools will receive more hands-on support through the deployment of almost 2,500 teacher and principal coaches across all PPDs in Malaysia. Regardless of function, all PPD officers will also be expected to shift their focus from work at the PPD to hands-on engagement with schools. This is to ensure that they fully understand the contexts in which each school operates. The goal is for PPDs to function as the first line of support for schools and their single point of contact with the rest of the Ministry. Strengthen leadership capabilities in 150-200 pivotal leadership positions from 2013. The Ministry has identified 150-200 pivotal leadership positions at the federal, state, and district levels that particularly impact the activities of the 10,000 schools in the system. These positions include the heads of 138 PPDs and 16 JPNs and several key central functions such as teacher education. The Ministry has started reviewing competency profiles and developing succession plans to ensure that these roles are staffed with highlyskilled individuals capable of transforming the departments and schools under them. As with teachers and principals, the intent is to promote officers to these critical roles based on their performance and competency, and not by tenure. Strengthen key central functions and rationalise structure from 2016. The Ministry recognises that some functions will be particularly critical to the rollout of the Blueprint. These include policy research and planning, teacher education, curriculum development, school inspections, and examination and assessment. The Ministry will review each of the relevant divisions responsible for these functions to determine what steps are required to strengthen their capabilities. This could include setting up the divisions as centres of excellence to increase their independence, and/or targeted hiring of external specialists. Following the refinement of federal, state, and district roles, the Ministry will also rationalise and realign the entire organisational structure of the Ministry to reflect the changes in responsibilities and functions.
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shift 9: partner with parents, community, and private sector at scale why it is needed: international experience makes it clear that learning happens well beyond the school walls and can occur at home and in the community. in malaysia, approximately a quarter of a child’s time from the ages of 7 to 17 is spent in school. the priority is thus to shift from “school learning” to “system learning” by engaging parents, the community, as well as the private and social sectors as partners in supporting student learning. critically, international evidence is clear that some forms of involvement make more of a difference. for example, evidence from the Oecd studies on pisa indicate that certain parent-child activities—such as reading to their children on a daily basis or discussing how their day was—can significantly raise student outcomes, regardless of socio-economic background. similarly, international research has found that schools that engage with businesses, civic organisations, and higher education institutes enjoy benefits that include higher grades and lower student absenteeism. what success will look like: every parent will be an active partner in their child’s learning, not only through the standard raft of activities like report card and sports days, but also a strengthened parent-teacher association or Persatuan Ibu Bapa dan Guru (pibg) that provides input on school-based management matters, as well as parent toolkits to support student learning. schools will also have a network of community and private sector partners that contribute expertise to the school’s development. the involvement of all these stakeholders will create a learning ecosystem that reinforces the knowledge, skills, and values taught to students at school.
Equip every parent to support their child’s learning through a parent engagement toolkit and online access to their child’s in-school progress. In the future, parents can expect to work more closely with teachers to improve their child’s performance. Parents will sign home-school agreements that specify simple actions they can take to help their child, from ensuring that the child is always on time for school, to helping them build literacy and numeracy skills at home. Parents will be supported in this process through the provision of online access to their child’s progress on school-based and national assessments (via the School Examination Analysis System or Sistem Analisis Peperiksaan Sekolah, (SAPS)) and initiatives that promote adult literacy, ICT and parenting skills. These initiatives may be driven by the Ministry or a new Parent Support Group that will be established within each PIBG. Invite every PIBG to provide input on contextualisation of curriculum and teacher quality from 2016. In the future, the role of the PIBG will evolve from typically being focused on fundraising, to working collaboratively with school leadership to improve student outcomes. Specifically, PIBGs will be invited to provide input
on how the school can make the national curriculum more relevant to the needs of the local community, and to provide feedback on the quality of teaching and learning experienced by their children. PIBGs and school leaders will then work together to define solutions for the identified issues. In some cases, this may mean securing parental support to take on roles as supplementary coaches and teachers for school activities. Expand Trust School model to 500 schools by 2025 by including alumni groups and non-governmental organisations, (NGOs) as potential sponsors. A greater diversity of private and social sector entities will have the opportunity to get involved in the school improvement process. This will be done through the expansion of the Trust Schools programme which enables a private sponsor to partner with school leadership to manage a school. Initial results from a pilot started in 2010 have been promising, and the Ministry intends to not only expand the number of schools, but also the type of schools that are involved. The Ministry sees particular promise in expanding the programme to include schools that cater to more disadvantaged communities such as indigenous and minority groups, students with special needs, and rural schools.
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shift 10: maximise student outcomes for every ringgit why it is needed: in 2011, 16% of malaysia’s annual federal budget was spent on education—the largest proportion among all ministries. malaysia’s education budget, as a share of gdp, is also one of the highest in the world. this significant investment is an indication of the government’s commitment to education. however, it is unlikely that substantially more funds can be diverted to the education system away from other priorities. instead, it is critical for the ministry to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of how it allocates and spends its funds. what success will look like: given the ambitious transformation effort that the education system is about to undertake, the government will continue to invest an approximate level of expenditure—16% of the federal budget—in the education system. the ministry will allocate these funds to the priorities set out in the blueprint, and away from other lower impact programmes and initiatives, the ministry will also track and report the captured return on investment for every initiative, with further investment conditional of having delivered improved outcomes.
Link every programme to clear student outcomes, and annually rationalise programmes that have low impact. Moving forward, every programme launched by the Ministry will be linked to specific targets in terms of student outcomes. The federal, state and district offices will undertake an annual review exercise to evaluate the programme’s success in meeting these targets. Funding for the following year will be conditional of having demonstrated improved outcomes. With this outcome-based budgeting approach, parents, teachers, and principals can be assured that every programme is aligned with the Blueprint’s priorities and adds value. This move will also reduce the risk of initiative overload so that teachers and principals are not overburdened. Capture efficiency opportunities, with funding reallocated to the most critical areas such as teacher training and upskilling. The Ministry will carefully review spending patterns at federal, state, and district levels to establish appropriate spending benchmarks and refine procurement processes. Departments and offices that are spending above the expected benchmark will be required to bring their spending patterns back in line. In line with this practice, the Ministry is committed to taking action on any issues highlighted in the annual Auditor-General report. The Ministry will also shift towards need-based financial aid programmes. Low-income families will continue to receive the aid they need to keep their children in schools, while higher-income families who can afford more will receive significantly less aid. Funding that would otherwise have been spent on these programmes will be reallocated to the areas with the greatest impact on student outcomes, namely teacher training and upskilling. An initial RM1 billion in operational expenditure for the period of 2013-2015 has been identified for saving and reallocation, and a review of development expenditure is still ongoing.
shift 11: increase transparency for direct public accountability why it is needed: the gtp and economic transformation programmes signalled a fundamental shift in the way the government made itself accountable to the rakyat. anything less is now deemed unacceptable. this was reinforced during the national dialogue where stakeholders frequently stressed the need for the ministry to engage and communicate more with the public on types and progress of initiatives being undertaken and the results being delivered. what success will look like: all stakeholders will have access to regular and transparent information about the ministry’s progress against the blueprint. this information will enable them to engage in a constructive dialogue with the ministry on existing and forthcoming initiatives, and to get involved in their local community school or the broader education system, as per shift 9. this will lead not only to an informed and empowered populace, but also a more accountable and responsive way of policy-making in the ministry.
Publish an annual public report on progress against Blueprint targets, starting from the year 2013. The Ministry will publish an annual report on the progress made against each initiative outlined in the Blueprint. Where relevant, this will also include clear explanations of how KPIs like the NKRA school performance band have been calculated, and ongoing efforts to improve how the system measures success. All stakeholders will enjoy a degree of transparency that has never before existed. Conduct comprehensive stock-takes in 2015, 2020 and 2025. The Ministry will undertake a stock-take at key milestones in the reform journey. As part of this stock-take, all stakeholders will be able to provide input through a National Dialogue process on what is or is not working well within the system, and what the Ministry could do about the situation. Thirteen years is a long timeframe, during which changes to the overarching strategy or specific initiatives are likely to be required. If major policy decisions are required during a non-stocktake year, the Ministry will conduct a national survey to gather input from relevant parties.
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What Impact Will This Transformation Journey Have?
Students
Students will make significant gains in their development irrespective of their background. Students will study in conducive learning environments, and will feel stretched and nurtured by their school experience. When they leave school, students will have worldclass knowledge and skills, strong moral values, and will be capable of competing with their peers in other countries.
Students will learn in an environment where the fundamental belief is that all students can learn and all students can succeed. Teachers will have high expectations of students regardless of their background or prior achievement, and will provide them with the necessary support to meet those expectations; Students will have a richer school experience, both academic and nonacademic, so that they can excel in life. There will be more project and group-based work to develop students’ higher-order thinking skills and ability to work both independently and collaboratively in groups. There will be more community-based projects and cross-school activities to foster interaction with individuals from all walks of life. There will be more opportunities for students to learn at their own pace and to pursue their interests in academic, vocational or technical streams; and Students will have greater say in shaping their learning experience. Teachers will work with them and their parents to set their own learning targets. Teachers will also encourage them to be advocates for themselves so that teachers understand what learning styles work best for each of them. In return, students will be asked to try their best at all times and to work collaboratively with their teachers to reduce disruptive classroom behaviour. All students will have the collective responsibility to help make their school safe and conducive to learning.
Teachers
Teachers will develop the world-class capabilities needed to facilitate desired student outcomes and gain more enjoyment and fulfillment from their jobs. With the new teacher career package, they will enjoy more fulfilling professional development, improved career pathways, and fair and transparent evaluation processes that are directly linked to relevant competencies and performance.
For the transformation of the Malaysian education system to be effective and sustainable, each participant must understand the critical role they each play and the benefits that they will enjoy. It is envisaged that the programme defined in this Blueprint will lead to a collective set of desirable benefits, rights, and responsibilities for each group.
Teachers will have the support they need to succeed. They will have access to more school-based professional development opportunities. They will participate in constructive feedback discussions and dialogue that focus not on blame and punishment, but on learning and development so that areas for improvement can become areas of strength; Teachers will enjoy better working conditions, performance-based rewards and enhanced pathways. They will work in schools with adequate facilities and appropriate working conditions. They will have a reduced administrative burden so that they can focus their energy on their core activities of teaching and learning. They will enjoy exciting performance-based rewards including faster career progression and can develop their interests along distinct pathways: teaching, leadership, and subject specialism; and Teachers will be immersed in a culture of collaboration and professional excellence. They will collaborate with one another to tackle issues and share best practices. They will have greater pedagogical flexibility in the classroom in their quest to ensure that every student learns. In return, teachers will be asked to stay open to learning and to new ways of working, to involve parents and students in the learning process, and to model the mindsets, values and behaviours expected of students.
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School leaders
School leaders will become excellent instructional leaders, and act as agents for change. They will enjoy closer support and enhanced services from federal, state, and district education officers. They will gain access to world-class leadership training, as well as best practices from their peers in Malaysia.
School leaders will have the support and resources they need to guide their schools effectively. They will receive better preparatory, induction, and ongoing training to help them develop their leadership skills. They will see improved responsiveness from PPDs on issues they face, from deployment of principal coaches to the provision of additional resources if the school is in greater need; School leaders will enjoy better working conditions and performance-based rewards. Principals, assistant principals as well as subject and department heads will work in schools with adequate facilities and have a reduced administrative burden so that they can focus their energy on instructional leadership. They will enjoy exciting performance-based rewards including faster career progression and “extra credit” for successful deployment in under-performing rural schools; and School leaders will be empowered through greater school-based management. They will have operational flexibility commensurate with their school’s performance on matters such as curriculum timetabling and budget allocation. They will enter into a professional partnership with their PPDs, with input into their school’s annual performance targets, and will enjoy greater transparency with regard to decisions affecting their school. In return, school leaders will be asked to perform to the high expectations set and agreed to for their school. They will need to stay open to new ways of working, to involve the community in school improvement, and to serve as coaches and trainers to build capabilities in their staff as well as for other schools.
Ministry officials
Ministry officials will develop as change leaders, with the skills and attributes needed to support schools. They will become better managers, coaches, and supporters of school excellence. They will benefit from greater meritocracy, greater empowerment with accountability, and will move away from hierarchy and control.
Ministry officials will receive targeted support, training, and resources needed to fulfill their new roles and responsibilities. They will have new roles focused on supporting schools, and have access to more professional development opportunities. They will participate in constructive feedback discussions that focus not on blame and punishment, but on learning and development; Ministry officials will work in a collaborative and transparent environment. Silos between divisions will be broken down, and roles and responsibilities will be streamlined to eliminate duplication of functions and activities. Information will be shared efficiently to allow for evidencebased decisions. There will be greater clarity about how decisions are made; and Ministry officials will receive greater operational flexibility and accountability. The system will move towards decentralisation with more decision rights being awarded to state and district offices. Officials will have more say in identifying areas of improvement for their states, districts, and schools, and in tailoring solutions to specific contexts. In return, Ministry officials will be asked to stay open to feedback from schools and from the community. They will champion the changes the system is about to undergo. They will need to be highly responsive in providing schools with the support and resources they need, as well as to keep all internal and external stakeholders wellinformed.
Parents
Parents will see tangible and sustained improvements in the educational experiences of their children. There will be increased transparency around a school’s performance and priorities, and parents will be constantly kept in the loop as to how their child is doing at school, both in terms of achievements and areas for development. Parents will feel like true partners with schools in facilitating their child’s learning.
Parents will have a better understanding of how their children are developing, and how they can help them improve. They will have regular contact with their children’s teachers, not just when there is a problem. They will have full visibility and access to their children’s performance on national examinations and school-based assessments. They will get guidance, from parenting tips to adult education classes, on how to best support their children’s learning and development; and Parents will have more opportunities to provide input into their school’s improvement strategies. They have the right to be fully informed about the school’s mission, current performance, and annual improvement programme. They will be able to, via their PIBG, provide input on matters such as teacher and curriculum quality. They will feel welcomed and valued for their commitment to their children and to the school. In return, parents will be asked to support their children in meeting their learning potential (for example, ensuring that they complete their homework and attend school on time), and to model commitment, engagement, and openness for their children. Parents will need to communicate input and concerns to schools in a constructive manner and actively participate in activities at school.
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EXHIBIT 9
the education transformation will take place over 13 years
Wave 1 (2013-2015) Turn around system by supporting teachers and focusing on core skills ▪
Tailored on-the-ground teacher coaching to raise teaching standards, particularly in core subjects of Bahasa Malaysia (BM), English language, Mathematics, and Science Higher entry standards for new teachers Dedicated principal coaches for Band 5,6 & 7 schools and enhanced selection criteria for principals to improve quality of school leadership Examination questions revamped with greater proportion focused on higher-order thinking skills Uniform standards for BM rolled out at primary level, with remedial support for students struggling in BM and English language National 1BestariNet rolled out to integrate ICT into day-to-day learning District support focused on underperforming schools, including those for students with specific needs, to accelerate school improvement Enrolment drives, greater parental involvement, and better vocational programmes to increase pre- and secondary school enrolment Enhanced practicum in vocational programmes through greater private sector collaboration Ministry transformation beginning with best leaders placed in pivotal JPN and PPD positions to improve delivery 100% students literate in Bahasa Malaysia and numerate after 3 years of schooling; target for English literacy to be determined after baseline is established 92% preschool, 98% primary, 90% lower secondary, 85% upper secondary enrolment 25 % reduction in the urban-rural gap
Wave 2 (2016-2020) Accelerate system improvement ▪
Enhanced teacher coaching and support to improve delivery of knowledge, skills, and values across all academic and non-academic aspects of curriculum Competency and performance based progressions, enhanced career pathways, and improved pre-service training to revitalise teaching profession New secondary and revised primary curriculum rolled out to raise content and learning standards to international benchmarks Peralihan class ended, options for increased English language exposure piloted, and additional language provision strengthened to improve overall language proficiency ICT innovations accelerated especially for distance and selfpaced learning Enhanced programmes for groups with specific needs such as Indigenous and other minority groups, gifted, and special needs Expanded vocational options through off-take agreements with private vocational providers Strengthened core divisions, streamlined federal, state, and district roles and restructured Ministry to improve delivery capacity and capabilities Malaysia’s performance at par with international average at the next TIMSS and PISA cycle 100% preschool to lower secondary enrolment. 90% upper secondary enrolment 50% reduction in the urban-rural gap, 25% reduction in the socio-economic and gender gap
Wave 3 (2021-2025) Move towards excellence with increased operational flexibility ▪
Greater school-based management and autonomy around curriculum implementation and budget allocation for most, if not all schools Peer-led culture of professional excellence where teachers and principals mentor one another, share best practices and hold peers accountable for meeting professional standards Innovations and options to continuously raise BM and English language proficiency are scaled up and more choices of additional languages provided Nationally rolled out ICT innovations and programmes for groups with specific needs to raise learning standards Ministry strengthened and transformation institutionalised with enhanced career progression for Ministry officials School structure review to determine if further optimisation of pathways and schooling options are necessary
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Key outcomes ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
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Malaysia’s performance on TIMSS and PISA in top third of systems Maintain or improve enrolment Maintain or improve urban-rural gap, 50% reduction in the socioeconomic and gender gaps
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sequencing the transfOrmatiOn
delivering the rOadmap
The Malaysian education system will need to undergo a complete transformation if it is to meet the ambitious aspirations set out in this The envisaged reform is broad and complex. Consequently, many Blueprint. This is a task of great complexity in both breadth and depth, initiatives have been developed as part of the reform. While each particularly given that most education system reforms around the individual initiative is important and meaningful, it is critical to world have fallen short of their aspirations. Of the 55 school systems streamline and sequence them so that the system is not overtaxed that took part in PISA 2000, only 12 have managed to demonstrate and execution fatigue is avoided. improvements in student outcomes over time—the rest either stagnated, or fell behind. This track record is not dissimilar to that of Common to all successful transformations in the private and public corporations undergoing major transformations—only one third is sectors is the prioritisation of some areas of improvement, sometimes successful. at the expense of others. This prioritisation is driven both by the system’s starting point as well as international evidence on the factors The Ministry has carefully reviewed international and national that make the most difference in improving student outcomes. Given evidence to identify what the Ministry would need to do differently the need to build the system’s capacity and capability successively, to deliver significant, sustainable, and widespread results. Based on the Ministry has sequenced the transformation to occur in three this research, the Ministry and the Government are committed to the waves (Exhibit 9). following actions: ▪ Wave 1 (2013-2015): Turn around system by supporting teachers and focusing on core skills. The Ministry’s focus during this phase will be on delivering a rapid turnaround programme. During this period, the focus will be on raising teaching quality by upskilling the existing pool of teachers, raising school leadership quality by improving how the education system appoints and trains principals, and improving student literacy (in both Bahasa Malaysia and English language) and numeracy through intensive remedial programmes. The Ministry will also strengthen and empower state and district offices to improve the quality of frontline support provided to all schools. By the end of Wave 1, the Ministry will ensure that all teachers, principals, and schools have achieved a minimum quality standard. ▪ Wave 2 (2016-2020): Accelerate system improvement. During the second wave, the Ministry will roll out structural changes aimed at accelerating the pace of change (Planning for all these initiatives will likely need to begin during Wave 1). These include moving all 410,000 teachers and 10,000 principals onto a new career package, restructuring the federal, state, and district offices to align with the revised roles laid out in Wave 1, and introducing a new secondary and revised primary curriculum that addresses concerns regarding the knowledge, skills, and values needed to thrive in today’s global economy. ▪ Wave 3 (2021-2025): Move towards excellence with increased operational flexibility. By the start of the third wave, all schools, teachers, and principals should be performing well above the minimum standard. As such, the Ministry will focus on increasing operational flexibility to cultivate a peer-led culture of professional excellence. The Ministry will also move most, if not all schools, onto a school-based management model, and scale up successful models of instructional innovation. The goal is to create a self-sustaining system that is capable of innovating and taking achievements to greater heights. ▪ Sustaining leadership commitment and focus at the top: Top Government and Ministry leadership, including the Prime Minister and the Minister of Education, are committed to regularly reviewing progress, providing guidance, and resolving issues with regard to the Blueprint. The Ministry leadership is also committed to identifying, cultivating and developing the leadership capabilities of the next generation of system leaders to ensure continuity and consistency of the transformation efforts. ▪ Establishing a small, high-powered delivery unit to drive Blueprint delivery: The Ministry will build on existing delivery capabilities to install an Education Delivery Unit (EDU) tasked with driving Blueprint delivery. Specifically, the EDU will monitor progress, problem solve implementation issues with the responsible officers, and manage communication with stakeholders with regard to the transformation. The EDU will draw from both the public and private sector to secure the best talent available. ▪ Intensifying internal and external performance management: Successful school reforms go beyond programme design to dramatically improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the Ministry of Education itself. As such, the Ministry will establish a performance management system that sets high expectations of individuals through clear KPIs. This system will invest in capability building to help individuals achieve their targets, reward strong performance, and address poor performance without creating a culture of blame. The Ministry will also publish performance results annually so that the public can track progress on the Blueprint ▪ Engaging Ministry officials and other stakeholders: The Blueprint development process was unprecedented in its attempt to engage and secure the input of the rakyat and the system’s biggest constituents: parents, students, teachers, principals and Ministry officials. As the Blueprint initiatives are rolled out, the Ministry will continue to solicit feedback from these parties and will regularly communicate progress to ensure that the entire education system is engaged in the transformation process.
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gains will be delivered within the next year
The Malaysian education system is entering an intensive period of change. Transformation of an education system takes time and some of the most significant results of these changes, such as improvements in performance on international assessments, will only be visible a few years down the road. Nonetheless, over the next twelve months, the public can expect to see significant changes in the way the system is run. These changes will form the foundation for future results. Exhibit 10 offers a sampling of what to expect over the coming months.
groups. The Ministry welcomes the rakyat’s input, and therefore encourages all interested parties to attend these sessions or to submit feedback by letter or online. The Malaysian Review Panel and the International Review Panel will also formally review the Blueprint and submit a final round of feedback. By mid-December 2012, the Ministry will have consolidated all feedback, incorporated it, and submitted the Final Blueprint to the Cabinet. Malaysian education stands at a crossroads, and the Ministry, taking the voices of the rakyat to heart, has chosen the more difficult, but ultimately more rewarding path. However, the Malaysian education system can only fulfil its ambitious aspirations through the continued support and commitment of all stakeholders. This Blueprint is a chance to carve out a brighter, bolder future for all Malaysian children—an ambitious mandate, but an inspiring one. It is the responsibility of every single Malaysian to work towards making these aspirations a reality, and it is only through all stakeholders working together that all Malaysian children will get the future they truly deserve.
run-up tO the final blueprint
Once this Blueprint is released, the Ministry will embark on a second round of intensive public consultations to gather feedback through Open Days and roundtable discussions with different stakeholder
EXHIBIT 10
Early results within the coming 12 months early results within the coming 12 months
All 70,000 English teachers assessed against internationally recognised CPT 5,000 of these teachers upskilled
LINUS 2.0 (including English literacy) rolled out to all primary schools
Teacher recruitment bar raised and enforced at IPGs and IPTAs
SISC+ and SiPartners+ programmes expansion to rest of the country completed
Dec 2012
461 full-time SISC+ and SiPartners+ introduced in Kedah and Sabah to provide teachers and principals in Band 5, 6 and 7 schools with tailored, on-the-ground training Parent engagement toolkit rolled out to all 10,000 schools to equip parents to better support children’s learning
Dec 2013
All 10,000 national primary and secondary schools to receive 4G coverage through 1BestariNet rollout All 1,608 schools requiring critical repairs fixed
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Executive Summary
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Overview Of blueprint chapters
There are eight chapters and seven appendices in the Preliminary Blueprint ▪ Chapter 1 lays out the objectives and approach behind the development of the Blueprint; ▪ Chapter 2 outlines a set of new aspirations for the overall Malaysian education system, including aspirations for every Malaysian child; ▪ Chapter 3 contains the detailed analyses on Malaysian student outcomes and establishes the current performance of the education system; ▪ Chapter 4 examines student learning in the Malaysian education system, looking at solutions to effect the changes necessary for the stated aspirations to be achieved. It includes initiatives from Shifts 1, 2, 3 and 6 related to curriculum and assessment, strengthening of language skills, school improvement interventions, and education for students with specific needs; ▪ Chapter 5 explores the roles of teachers and school leaders as the frontline of the Malaysian education system, with a focus on how to improve the quality of and support provided to teachers and school leaders. It addresses initiatives raised in Shifts 4 and 5; ▪ Chapter 6 looks at how the Ministry itself will develop in order to best implement the policies and initiatives laid out in this Blueprint, including by transforming the Ministry’s fundamental approach to human resources and finances to improve delivery capacity and resource productivity. This encompasses the initiatives raised in Shifts 6, 7, 8 and 10; ▪ Chapter 7 examines the structure of the system, and focuses on the phases of education, creating more varied educational pathways to address a broader spectrum of student interests and abilities, developing preschools, and better engaging with parents, local communities and the private sector. It includes initiatives from Shifts 1 and 9; ▪ Chapter 8 outlines the overall transformation programmes, including the sequencing of initiatives between 2013 and 2025 with the ultimate objective of improving student outcomes, raising the professional quality of teachers and school leaders, and revamping the structures of the Ministry and the education system. This chapter includes initiatives from Shift 11 to ensure that the Blueprint delivery is a success; ▪ Appendix I provides a brief overview of the major developments in the education system since the British Colonial period; ▪ Appendix II details out the different sources of inputs drawn on for the Blueprint, from external experts such as UNESCO, OECD and local universities, to the results of the 2012 National Dialogue; ▪ Appendix III maps out how key issues raised during the National Dialogue have been addressed in the Blueprint; ▪ Appendix IV explains the methodology behind the “Universal Scale” used in Chapter 3; ▪ Appendix V provides sample questions from PISA 2009+; ▪ Appendix VI details out all major Blueprint initiatives across each wave of reform; and ▪ Appendix VII highlights the initiatives that have been folded into the GTP2.0 NKRA on Education
Image by amrufm, Flickr CC 2.0
CHAPTER 1
context and
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1. context and approach
Malaysia faces a great challenge. The future success—both socio-cultural and economic—of the nation depends on quickly and significantly improving the outcomes of the nation’s education system. The rakyat are also demanding that initiatives launched by the Government are consistent, well-executed, and deliver on their promised outcomes. It is therefore vital for a partnership of all concerned parties—students, teachers, principals, parents, Ministry officials, and the social and private sectors—to rise to this challenge in new and innovative ways. To this end, based on extensive research, a comprehensive review of the current education system, and significant public engagement and consultation of multiple stakeholder groups, the Ministry has developed this preliminary Blueprint to pave the way towards a better-educated Malaysia.
Education plays a central role in any country’s pursuit of economic growth and national development. There is no better predictor of a nation’s future than what is currently happening in its classrooms. In today’s global economy, a nation’s success depends fundamentally on the knowledge, skills “In order to meet our high and competencies of its aspirations amidst an increasingly people. It is no surprise higher competitive global environment, that nations withtend to education levels we cannot stand still. Our country enjoy greater economic requires a transformation of its prosperity. Education entire education system.” is also fundamental to nation building and unity. YAB Dato’ Seri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak (2012) It provides individuals with the opportunity to improve their lives, become successful members of the community and active contributors to national development. Through interacting with individuals from a range of socio-economic, religious and ethnic backgrounds – and learning to understand, accept and embrace differences – a shared set of experiences and goals for Malaysia’s future can be built. It is through these shared experiences and aspirations that a common national identity and unity is fostered. In recent years, the Malaysian education system has come under increased public scrutiny and debate, as parents’ expectations rise and employers voice their concern regarding the system’s ability to adequately prepare young Malaysians for the challenges of the 21st century. Given the nature of the education system, it will take several years for fundamental changes to be felt. This makes the need for big, bold actions now both important and urgent. This Blueprint is the result of extensive research and public engagement carried out by the Ministry. Based on an understanding of Malaysia’s current position and the challenges it faces, the Blueprint aims t0 establish the vision and aspiration for the Malaysian education system through to 2025 as well as a roadmap of policies and initiatives that will be undertaken in order to achieve these goals.
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Chapter 1 Context and Approach
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Image by esharkj, Flickr CC 2.0 Report (1979), through to the development of a National Education Philosophy (1988) and revised Education Act (1996). Nonetheless, throughout all these changes, achieving access, quality, and equity in terms of student outcomes, unity amongst all students, and by extension system efficiency and effectiveness to deliver these, have remained constant anchors for the system. Further information on major education reports and policies can be found in Appendix I.
Background to the Blueprint
In 1957, Malaysia inherited a fragmented education system; while a select few were educated at elite institutions, over half of the population had never received formal schooling. Unsurprisingly, adult literacy rates hovered at a rather low 52%. The challenge for the young nation was clear: the Government needed to ensure access to education By some measures, Malaysia has clearly succeeded over the past 50 years. The adult literacy rate in 2010 for the population aged 15 for all children. years and above was 92%. There is near-universal primary and lower It was during this period that the Razak Report (1956) and the secondary enrolment, and upper secondary enrolment rates are a Rahman Talib Report (1960) on education were developed in quick respectable 80%. Around two-thirds of students go on to some form of succession. These reports established an ambitious vision for what the post-secondary education or training, from pre-university foundation new nation’s education system would look like. The principles laid out or matriculation programmes to vocational institutions. formed the basis for Malaysia’s first Education Act of 1961. The Cabinet The education system has also consistently produced students and Report (1979) (now popularly known as the Cabinet Committee schools that are comparable to the best internationally. This is Report), was another major milestone that emphasised building a evidenced not only by the number of students that have successfully Malaysian society ready for the future. It envisioned a truly holistic view of education, aiming to develop students intellectually, spiritually, gained entry into top-tier universities abroad, but also by the number of awards that Malaysian schools and students have won at the emotionally, and physically. international level. Exhibit 1-1 provides a number of recent success In the more than five decades since independence, the education stories that span both academic and non-academic pursuits. system has passed through many major milestones, from the Most recently, the Ministry, in partnership with other agencies under introduction of new curricula such as the Primary School Integrated the GTP, has made significant progress in expanding preschool Curriculum or Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Rendah (KBSR) and the Secondary School Integrated Curriculum or Kurikulum Bersepadu enrolment from 67% in 2009 to 77% over the short span of two years. Sekolah Menengah (KBSM) that were developed following the Cabinet The percentage of Year 1 students who are literate has risen from 87%
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EXHIBIT 1-1
examples of Malaysian students’ international achievements
Jul 2012 8th International Exhibition for Young Inventors, Thailand Genius Olympiad 2012 International High School Project Fair on Environment, New York 2nd International Folk Song and Dance Festival, Georgia 5th Asian Schools Badminton Championship, Hong Kong Jun 2012 The Invention and New Product Exposition, USA The Malaysian team won a gold medal for their invention. Two 14-year old students bagged third prize in the competition. The Malaysian team of 15 performers won the Gold and Silver Diploma prizes. The Malaysian team of 16 players won 3 gold medals and 4 silver and bronze medals respectively. The Malaysian team won a gold model in the category of education inventions The Malaysian team of 200 athletes bagged a total of 100 medals, claiming the third spot overall A 17-year-old emerged as the first Malaysian champion.
4th ASEAN School Games, Indonesia May 2012 Oct 2011 Jul 2011 English Speaking Union International Public Speaking Competition, London ASEAN Primary School Sports Olympiad, Indonesia 52nd International Mathematical Olympiad, Netherlands 42nd International Physics Olympiad, Thailand Dec 2010 Nov 2009 International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS)1 World Robot Olympiad (WRO), South Korea
Team of 36 clinched second place overall, winning a total of 6 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze medals. Stellar performance by a Form 4 student who clinched the first gold medal for Malaysia. Another four students attained commendable results. A Malaysian student attained a gold medal and special prize awarded by the European Physics Society. 68 Malaysian students achieved a total of 94 gold medals and were commended as being of world-class standard. Malaysia was the overall champion, a second win in two consecutive years.
1 Australian-based independent diagnostic assessments conducted annually SOURCE: Educational Policy, Planning and Research Division, Sports Division
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Chapter 1 Context and Approach
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in 2010 to 95% by the end of Year 2 in 2011. Further, the percentage of Year 1 students who are numerate also rose from 87% in 2010 to 97% by the end of Year 2 in 2011. These gains offer a clear demonstration that significant and rapid results in education are possible. To achieve the desired outcomes of access, quality, and equity, the Government has consistently directed significant resources towards developing the education system. As early as 1980, Malaysia’s expenditure on primary and secondary education as a percentage of GDP was the highest in East Asia. In 2011, Malaysia’s expenditure, at 3.8% of GDP was higher than the OECD average of 3.4%. It is this commitment to investing in excellent education that has laid the foundation for the education system’s—and the nation’s—many successes. Despite these important achievements and high level of commitment, the changing and increasingly competitive national and international landscape requires a rethink of where Malaysia stands today, and where the nation needs to move forward. Further, there are indicators that the system neecds to be more competitive in today’s changing world. Out of 74 countries participating in PISA 2009+, Malaysia performed in the bottom third for Reading, Mathematics, and Science. This was the first time Malaysia took part in the PISA assessment, and the average Malaysian student performance in all three areas was well below both the international and OECD averages. This statistic is worrying because PISA is an assessment of students’ higher-order thinking skills and ability to solve problems in a real-world setting― vital skills in the 21st century. The Government recognises that the Malaysian education system must continue evolving to keep up with the nation’s increasing aspirations, as well as to keep up with peer countries. Today’s globalised world and economy requires its participants to be critical, creative, and innovative thinkers. To keep up with ever-evolving demands, the rest of the world is constantly improving their approaches to education, and Malaysia must as well. During the National Dialogue to engage and consult with the rakyat on the education system, 98% of more than 3,000 people surveyed felt that the time was either right for a review, or that a review was even overdue.
3. Outlining a comprehensive transformation programme
for the system, including key changes to the Ministry which will allow it to meet new demands and rising expectations, and to ignite and support overall civil service transformation.
the Blueprint developMent approach
The approach to this Blueprint was bold and ground-breaking. Multiple perspectives were gathered from various experts and international agencies to evaluate and assess Malaysia’s education system performance (Exhibit 1-2). This includes the World Bank, UNESCO, and the OECD. The Ministry also consulted related policy documents produced by other agencies, including the Ministry of Higher Education’s 2007-2020 transformation strategy and 20112020 Blueprint on the enculturation of lifelong learning. Finally, the Ministry engaged with the rakyat on a scale never seen before. “How does our education
system compare against other This Blueprint is the outcome of countries? Is what we consider in-depth analyses, interviews, focus groups, surveys and research ‘good’ actually good enough?” conducted with the support of Malaysian and international YAB Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (2011) experts, Ministry officials, teachers, principals, and parents all across Malaysia. In addition, through the National Dialogue conducted between April and July of 2012, almost 12,000 members of the public and different stakeholder groups were engaged for their input and suggestions (Exhibit 1-2). The Blueprint includes action plans and priority interventions for the transformation of the overall education system.
Phase 1 was a comprehensive review and diagnostic of the education system. This phase started with a detailed evaluation of the performance of the Malaysian education system, focusing on student outcomes, assessing the root causes and key drivers for this level of performance, and recognising existing examples of excellence in the education system as models for emulation and replication.
oBjectives of the Blueprint
The Blueprint has been designed to meet the challenges of the 21st century, building on the foundations of the previous seminal reports and policies, and focusing on ways to develop and further pave the way for the education system’s continuous growth and improvement. To that end, the Blueprint is based around three specific objectives:
1. Understanding the current performance and challenges
of the Malaysian school system, with a focus on improving access to education, raising standards (quality), closing achievement gaps (equity), and promoting unity amongst students and maximising system efficiency; system and individual students over the next 13 years through to 2025; and
▪ Student Outcomes: In order to establish the current level of performance by the education system, the Blueprint focused on the five dimensions of access, quality, equity, unity, and efficiency, which have been consistent objectives of previous national education policies, starting with the Razak Report (1956), continuing with the Education Acts of 1961 and 1996, to the more recent Education Development Master Plan 2006-2010. These analyses are based on both national data and international benchmarks available on Malaysian student outcomes; ▪ Key Drivers: The Blueprint aims to understand the root causes of Malaysian student outcomes, evaluating key drivers and causes of student performance such as teacher quality, school leadership, and parental and community involvement. The Blueprint also covers standards in curriculum and assessment, with a focus on comparing Malaysia against international benchmarks. Finally, the
2. Establishing a clear vision and aspirations for the education
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EXHIBIT 1-2
sources of input for development of the preliminary Blueprint
12 Malaysian Review Panel members 4 International Review Panel members 6 Public universities 9 Education Labs
FOCUS GROUPS, WORKSHOPS, SURVEYS NATIONAL DIALOGUE TOWNHALLS, ROUNDTABLES, FOCUS GROUPS, SURVEYS
750 15,000 22,000 300
UNESCO
SOURCE: Project Management Office, Ministry of Education
Principals Teachers Students JPN/ PPD Officers
8,000 2,000 2,000
Teachers PIBG members Members of the public
including ministry, state and district officers … across every state
TIMSS
World Bank
PISA
Blueprint evaluates important implementation elements such as the organisation and delivery capacity of the Ministry itself across federal, state, and district levels, as well as how to ensure resources allocated towards developing basic infrastructure in the education system are used efficiently and effectively; and ▪ Examples of Excellence: Over the course of developing the Blueprint, numerous instances of schools and districts across the nation that have achieved outstanding results and shown dramatic improvements were identified. These examples show that excellence does exist across the system, and that there are many opportunities
to learn from within. The Blueprint therefore does not just pinpoint issues and gaps, but also seeks to identify, highlight, and understand these good practices and successes that exist within the education system today for replication and emulation. All of these efforts were conducted with a focus on ensuring the rigour and breadth of the Blueprint’s approach, while validating the results against international standards. The Blueprint incorporated primary analyses on national and international data, as well as more than 150 detailed studies conducted by the Ministry and international educational organisations over the past 10 years.
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▪ Fieldwork at both urban and rural schools was conducted to understand actual issues on the ground. This included island schools in Semporna, Orang Asli schools in Selangor, schools with a majority of students from indigenous and other minority groups in Keningau, fully residential schools in Terengganu, religious pondok schools in Kedah, as well as vocational schools, schools with Special Education Integration Programmes (SEIP), and independent Chinese schools in Johor. These were chosen as a representative mix of student performance levels, student population sizes, sociocultural contexts, and geographical zones; and ▪ Face-to-face interviews, focus groups, and workshops were conducted across Malaysia with more than 200 principals, 200 teachers, 300 federal, state, and district officials from the Ministry, and 100 parents in attendance. A nationwide survey of nearly 570 principals, nearly 15,000 teachers, and over 22,000 students was also launched to provide additional quantitative data. This does not include approximately 14,000 interviewees and survey respondents in the fieldwork conducted by the public universities. The findings from these workstreams were then triangulated against several independent sources: ▪ Research conducted in 2011 by six public universities on the quality of curriculum and assessment, teaching and learning, teachers and principals, human resource management, governance and management, infrastructure development, policy planning and implementation, and school structure and type; ▪ A 2011-2012 review by UNESCO (The Malaysia Education Policy Review) on the quality of curriculum development and implementation (with a focus on Mathematics and Science), student assessment and examination, ICT in education, technical vocational education and training , teacher education, and planning and management; and ▪ A 2011 review by the World Bank (The Public Expenditure Review), on public education expenditure, including the effectiveness and efficiency of resource use. Critically, all findings from the different workstreams were reviewed by a Taskforce comprising the Ministry’s senior leadership (further information on the Taskforce structure and members can be found in Appendix II). Phase 2 was focused on developing this preliminary Education Blueprint, by building upon the findings from Phase 1 to identify a set of priority areas and detailing a comprehensive transformation programme of policies and initiatives to be undertaken over the next 13 years, between 2013 and 2025. This phase incorporated input generated from the National Dialogue and the GTP2.0 education labs. ▪ National Dialogue: In April 2012, the Ministry launched a National Dialogue to gather the rakyat’s feedback and input on
education. This Dialogue signified a bold move towards engaging existing and future generations of parents, teachers and students. A panel headed by Tan Sri Dato’ Dr. Wan Mohd. Zahid Mohd. Noordin chaired 16 townhalls (held in Putrajaya, Perak, Kedah, Sabah (2 locations), Sarawak (2 locations), Labuan, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Selangor, Penang, Pahang, Kelantan, Terengganu, and Johor) attended by almost 12,000 members of the general public and 20 roundtable sessions with 325 participants. School visits were conducted to solicit feedback directly from primary and secondary school students. Members of the public also had the opportunity to submit ideas and feedback through the MyEduReview online portal, Facebook, and Twitter. Over 150 memoranda were submitted to the Ministry and a total of over 7,000 recommendations were received through these various channels. This unprecedented and intimate level of interaction with all concerned parties was vital in providing the Ministry with multiple, nuanced perspectives from members of many different demographics. Their concerns and many of the good ideas raised during these sessions (please refer to Appendix III for further details) have been reflected in the Blueprint; and ▪ GTP2.0 Education Labs: The planning for the next phase of the GTP was deliberately dovetailed with that of the Blueprint to ensure alignment in priorities and actions. To that end, the GTP2.0 initiatives which will run from 2013 to 2015 will form part of the first wave of the Blueprint reform which spans the entirety of the timeframe of 2013-2025. These initiatives will be delivered jointly with PEMANDU. To establish the initiatives, a series of education labs focusing on developing solutions in priority areas such as teachers, principals, school improvement, curriculum and assessment, and infrastructure were held over a period of two months. Approximately 90 members from the Ministry and related ministries (such as the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Human Resources, Ministry of Higher Education and the Ministry of Women, Family, and Community Development) were involved on a full-time basis. Additionally, ideas were syndicated extensively with practicing teachers, principals, district and state officers, as well as with the teacher unions, principal associations and PIBGs. The Ministry reviewed all of the suggestions from the National Dialogue and Labs carefully, and integrated them into the Blueprint based on four criteria. Firstly, any action undertaken had to contribute to the system and student aspirations described above. This meant that initiatives that delivered one outcome at the expense of another, or that would lead to a different end-state were deprioritised. Secondly, the Ministry drew on international evidence to identify and prioritise the factors that make the most difference in system and student improvement. Thirdly, the proposals had to be relevant to the system’s starting point and be within the Ministry’s ability to deliver. Initiatives were thus sequenced to evolve in complexity as the capabilities and capacity of the Ministry officers, teachers, and principals were developed. Fourthly, the benefits of implementing the proposal had to outweigh the financial and operational downsides.
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Phase 3 will focus on finalising the Blueprint. This will primarily involve wide-ranging consultation and engagement with teachers, parents, students and other stakeholders to gather feedback on the preliminary Blueprint. This feedback will be incorporated into the final version of the Blueprint. ▪ Extensive public consultation: Once this Blueprint is released, the Ministry will embark on a second round of intensive public consultations to gather feedback from different stakeholder groups to incorporate into the final Blueprint. The Ministry will hold several Open Days across Malaysia and repeat the roundtable sessions with selected stakeholder groups; and ▪ Submission of the Final Blueprint: By mid-December 2012, the Ministry will have consolidated all feedback, incorporated it, and submitted the Final Blueprint to the Cabinet. Throughout this process, the Ministry’s efforts are informed by the independent input and suggestions of a Malaysian and an International Review Panel. Feedback was gathered from these members through a combination of face-to-face interactions (such as full day workshops, one-on-one interviews) and video-conference meetings. A full list of the panel members has been included in Appendix II.
overview of the Blueprint
Education reform is at the top of the agenda of every nation in the world, and Malaysia needs to prioritise the continued development of its education system in order to be able to compete globally. The research shows that, overall, Malaysia has done well in the past 50 years in expanding access to education and raising standards in terms of adult literacy and participation in schooling. However, looking a little deeper, the picture is more complex. Variation in performance and capacity across Malaysia’s states, districts, and schools exists today. While there are remarkable examples of excellent schools and districts across the nation, there are still performance gaps that need to be addressed. The next seven chapters of the Blueprint will examine and address these issues, and pinpoint steps to move forward: ▪ Chapter 2 outlines a set of new aspirations for the overall Malaysian education system, including aspirations for every Malaysian child; ▪ Chapter 3 contains a detailed analyses of Malaysian student outcomes and establishes the current performance of the education system;
▪ Chapter 4 examines student learning in the Malaysian education ▪ Malaysian Review Panel: A total of 12 leading Malaysians system, looking at solutions to effect the changes necessary for the from a cross-section of professional backgrounds and the public stated aspirations to be achieved. Areas of focus are curriculum and and private sectors were assembled, under the leadership of Tan assessment, strengthening of language skills, school improvement Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli bin Abdul Razak, Vice-Chancellor of Albukhary interventions, special needs education, education for indigenous International University. The panel debated topical issues and other minority groups, and education for gifted students; (including many raised through the National Dialogue), reviewed an early draft of the document, and provided independent suggestions ▪ Chapter 5 explores the roles of teachers and school leaders as the on potential policy shifts and ideas for consideration by the frontline of the Malaysian education system, with a focus on how to Ministry. The panel will also review the preliminary Blueprint and improve the quality of and support provided to teachers and school submit a final round of feedback; and leaders; ▪ International Review Panel: Similarly, four leading global ▪ Chapter 6 looks at how the Ministry itself will develop in order to educationists were assembled as the International Review best implement the policies and initiatives laid out in this Blueprint, Panel. These educationists reviewed the diagnostic findings and including by transforming the Ministry’s fundamental approach transformation initiatives, and provided their perspectives based on to human resources and finances to improve delivery capacity and Malaysia’s starting point and challenges. The panel members will resource productivity; also travel to Malaysia to conduct detailed workshops and site visits in Q4 2012 and will provide feedback before the finalisation of the ▪ Chapter 7 examines the structure of the system, and focuses on Blueprint at the end of 2012. the phases of education, creating more varied educational pathways to address a broader spectrum of student interests and abilities, The Blueprint also examined lessons from the most improved school developing preschools, and better engaging with parents, local systems worldwide which have demonstrated significant, widespread, communities and the private sector; and and sustained improvements in student outcomes over time. As part of the process, the Ministry examined international data, analyses, and ▪ Chapter 8 outlines the overall transformation programmes, benchmarking approaches from leading international sources such as including the sequencing of initiatives between 2013 and 2025 with PISA and TIMSS to provide a robust methodology for understanding the ultimate objective of improving student outcomes, raising the and comparing Malaysia’s school system standards and performance professional quality of teachers and school leaders, and revamping with that of other countries. Appendix II provides further details on the structures of the Ministry and the education system. This the methodology behind the development of the Blueprint. chapter also covers the delivery requirements needed to ensure that the Blueprint is a success.
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Chapter 1 Context and Approach
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The Ministry acknowledges how important education is in providing a foundation for nation building and sustainable economic growth in line with Malaysia’s goal of transforming into a high-income nation. The Ministry also recognises that the education system must undergo more extensive and systematic transformation if Malaysia is to produce individuals that are able to thrive and compete globally. The Blueprint therefore provides not just an examination of the current education system and its successes and shortcomings, but also a comprehensive plan to move forward towards a better, world-class education.
CHAPTER 2
vision and
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2. vision and aspirations
Every education system must be anchored to a set of aspirations that are closely tied to its particular national context. Although there are many different perspectives on what would make Malaysia’s education system great, almost all stakeholders agree that Malaysia’s education system must do much better if it is to live up to the ambitions of all Malaysians. This chapter addresses two aspects regarding the future of the education system: it imagines what Malaysia’s school system would look like once it is successfully transformed, and what the hopes and aspirations are for each individual Malaysian child.
The state of the education system today is the best predictor of Malaysia’s competitiveness tomorrow. As outlined in the New Economic Model and the 10th Malaysia Plan, Malaysia’s push from middle-income to high-income status will need to be fuelled more by talent—particularly that of leaders and knowledge workers—than by any other input (such as unskilled labour or capital). Furthermore, globalisation demands that Malaysia’s talent needs to compete with the best internationally. It is therefore imperative for Malaysia to have a globally-competitive education system that produces globallycompetitive talent.
SyStem ASpirAtionS
There are five outcomes that the Blueprint aspires to for the Malaysian education system: access, quality, equity, unity, and efficiency (Exhibit 2-1). These aspirations have emerged from the body of historical Education Reports, remaining as relevant today as when they were first conceived in the Malaysian context.
In 1956, the Razak Report envisioned a national education system that guaranteed access to a place in school for all children regardless of ethnicity or socio-economic background, and that provided all children with a learning environment that celebrated unity through an Malaysia is therefore at a critical juncture. The country requires a appreciation of our nation’s diversity. In 1979, the Cabinet Committee fundamental transformation of its basic education system in order Report reiterated Malaysia’s goals for its education system, with a to realise its ambitions. This transformation will be grounded by focus on educating students holistically, and preparing a nation for ambitious and clear objectives that reflect the country’s requirements the future to come. Most recently, the Education Development Master for talent, while considering Malaysia’s unique context and strengths. Plan (2006-2010) aimed to enhance the effectiveness of the system Importantly, these aspirations need to be shared by all stakeholders— by improving access, quality, equity, and unity, and to deliver these not just by the Government, the Cabinet, and the Ministry, but also by outcomes as efficiently as possible so as to maximise the returns on parents, the community, employers, and the students themselves. For the resources invested. These five outcomes are also in line with the this Blueprint, the Ministry took innovative steps towards engaging aspirations articulated by participants during the National Dialogue. every corner of Malaysian society via a National Dialogue, showing a renewed commitment towards ensuring that perspectives of the rakyat Action across all five areas is important and no initiative in one area should detract from or undermine progress in another. would be heard. In fact, education-related aspirations was one of the most popular topics discussed during the National Dialogue, covering 15% of all comments. The aspirations for the transformation of the education system comprise two aspects: firstly, those for the education system as a whole, and secondly, those for individual students.
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“The purpose of education in Malaysia is to enable Malaysian society to have a command of the knowledge, skills, and values necessary in a world that is highly competitive and globalised, arising from the impact of rapid development in science, technology, and information.”
Preamble to the Education Act (1996)
Access to Success
Every child in Malaysia, regardless of wealth, ethnicity or background, deserves equal access to a quality education that will enable the student to achieve his or her potential. Building upon the principle of Education for All, part of the Millennium Development Goals, the Malaysian education system aspires to ensure universal access and full enrolment of all children from preschool through to the upper secondary (Form Five) level, whether through the academic pathway or equivalent vocational and technical pathways. This commitment includes both proactively reaching out to those children currently not attending school, as well as ensuring that these students complete schooling to minimum acceptable standards, namely passing the six core subjects of Bahasa Malaysia, English language, Mathematics, Science, History and Islamic Education or Moral Education at the end of Form 5. Achieving universal enrolment would put Malaysia at par with other developed nations. It will also help increase the percentage of students entering some form of post-secondary education in academic institutions such as universities, colleges, polytechnics, vocational institutions, or in structured skills training programmes.
the national Education philosophy
The National Education Philosophy for Malaysia, written in 1988 and revised in 1996, enshrines the Ministry’s and Government’s vision of education as a means for the holistic development of all children: intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
Quality of a High international Standard
All students will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education that is uniquely Malaysian and comparable to high-performing education systems. This will require that Malaysia’s education system embark upon a path of improvement that will move it rapidly towards great performance, as benchmarked against other countries by international standards. This includes standards for disciplines such as Mathematics, Science, and English language, and for higher-order thinking skills such as reasoning, applying, and problem-solving. The aspiration is for Malaysia to be in the top third of countries in terms of performance in international assessments as measured by outcomes in TIMSS and PISA within 15 years. Additional assessments that address other dimensions of quality that are relevant to the Malaysian context may be included as they are developed and become accepted international standards. Achieving this goal will require enormous commitment from the entire nation. In the past decade, very few school systems have managed to make such a step-change in performance. However, several of the world’s top-performing school systems, such as Singapore and South Korea, have demonstrated that it is possible for a system to go from poor to great performance within a few decades. Likewise, the most improved school systems across the world, such as those of Boston (USA), Ontario (Canada), and Armenia, have
“Education in Malaysia is an on going effort towards further developing the potential of individuals in a holistic and integrated manner, so as to produce individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, and physically balanced and harmonious, based on a firm belief in and devotion to God. Such an effort is designed to produce Malaysian citizens who are knowledgeable and competent, who possess high moral standards and who are responsible and capable of achieving high levels of personal well-being as well as being able to contribute to the harmony and betterment of the family, the society, and the nation at large.”
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consistently demonstrated that it is possible to make substantial improvements in student outcomes in as little as six years. It is the Ministry’s intention for Malaysia to join this select list of high performers. Indeed, if Malaysia is able to move from the bottom third to top third of countries on international assessments in 15 years, Malaysia will be one of the fastest-improving systems in the world.
equity for All Students
The best school systems deliver the best possible education for every student, regardless of ethnicity, geographical location, or socio-economic background. The education system envisioned for Malaysia is one where all students—regardless of who their parents are, or where they study— will be equipped with the tools they need to unlock their own future. The Malaysian school system aspires to halve the socio-economic, urban-rural and gender achievement gaps in student outcomes by 2020. The reduction of the socio-economic and urban-rural gap is expected to also impact corresponding achievement gaps between states and school types. Achieving this reduction would make Malaysia one of the more equitable systems in the world. The education system will actively support social mobility by providing additional support to those who are at a disadvantage, thereby ensuring that a student’s socio-economic background will no longer be the biggest driver of whether or not he or she succeeds in life. The system also aspires to provide access to alternative, attractive pathways to education such as vocational education, to provide opportunities for students of diverse interests and abilities to develop their talents. This push for greater choice and flexibility in the education system is in line with feedback from the National Dialogue. Similarly, it is acknowledged that there are student segments within the school-going population in Malaysia with specific needs who require even more support. To this end, the Ministry will provide greater support and programmes for students with special needs, indigenous and other minority (IOM) groups, as well as “gifted” students, to allow them to achieve their fullest potential.
tiMss and pisa international assessments tiMss is an international assessment based on the Mathematics and Science curricula of schools around the world. It assesses students in Grades 4 (the Malaysian equivalent is Year 4) and 8 (the Malaysian equivalent is Form 2) along two aspects: content such as algebra and geometry, and cognitive skills, namely the thinking processes of knowing, applying, and reasoning. The test was first administered in 1995. Today, over 59 countries participate in the assessment which is conducted every four years. Malaysia has participated in TIMSS since 1999, although only with Form 2 students. pisa, co-ordinated by the OECD, is another widely recognised international assessment. Conducted every three years, PISA aims to evaluate proficiency in Reading, Mathematics, and Science in students aged 15 years old. Its focus is not on curriculum content, but on students’ ability to apply their knowledge in real-world settings. Participant countries extend beyond OECD members, with 74 countries taking part in the most recent assessment in 2009. Malaysia participated for the first time in 2010, as part of the 2009 PISA assessment cycle.
Fostering Unity among Students
Since independence, one of Malaysia’s core aspirations as a uniquely diverse nation has been to foster unity. Highly diverse nations that embrace this diversity and prioritise social and systemic inclusiveness exhibit greater unity. International research from the OECD indicates that such greater unity is associated with healthier populations, safer communities, and higher rates of employment. As students spend over a quarter of their time in school from the ages of 7 to 17 (Exhibit 2-2), schools are in a key position to foster unity. Through interacting with individuals from a range of socio-economic, religious and ethnic backgrounds — and learning to understand, accept and embrace differences — a shared set of experiences and aspirations for Malaysia’s future can be built. It is through these shared experiences and aspirations that a common national identity and unity is forged.
Internationally, there are no definitive measures of unity. However, to enable better tracking of progress, the Ministry will launch an annual student survey to assess indicators of unity, including degree of general trust among different ethnic groups, extent of racial and religious tolerance, and social interaction between students of different ethnic groups.
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EXHIBIT 2-1
Five system aspirations for the malaysian education system
Access Quality Equity Unity Efficiency
100% enrolment across all levels from preschool to upper secondary by 2020 Top third of countries in international assessments such as PISA and TIMSS in 15 years 50% reduction in achievement gaps (urban-rural, socio-economic, gender) by 2020 An education system that gives children shared values and experiences by embracing diversity
A system which maximises student outcomes within current budget
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EXHIBIT 2-2
Time spent by students while awake
Percent of hours, students aged 7-17
and values; and a strong sense of national identity. These elements also highlight the focus on enabling all students to contribute meaningfully to their families, to society, and to the nation.
Knowledge
School
27
73
At the most basic level, every student needs to be fully literate and numerate. This equips them with basic life skills, and enables them to function effectively in society so that they can create value for themselves, their community, and the nation. In addition, it is important that students master core subjects like Bahasa Malaysia, English language, Mathematics, Science, and History. To be well-rounded, students will be encouraged to be informed and knowledgeable in other areas such as the arts, music and sports. Beyond just acquiring this knowledge, it is important that every student has the ability to apply this knowledge in day-to-day situations.
Home & community
1 Based on 42 weeks in school and average of 5.5 hours in school per day, 2 hours compulsory co-curricular activities per week, 8 hours sleep per day SOURCE: Ministry of Education sample student timetables (2011); Improving Health and Social Cohesion through Education (2010), Centre for Education Research and Education (OECD)
thinking skills
Every student needs to possess a spirit of inquiry and learn how to continue acquiring knowledge throughout their lives, to be able to connect different pieces of knowledge, and, most important of all in a knowledge-based economy, to create new knowledge. Every student needs to master a range of important cognitive skills:
Delivering with Greater efficiency
Malaysia’s consistently high level of expenditure on education relative ▪ Creative Thinking and Innovation: the ability to innovate, to to its federal budget is indicative of the Government’s commitment to generate new possibilities, and to create new ideas or knowledge; education. These expenditure levels have resulted in almost universal access to primary and lower secondary education and relatively high upper secondary enrolments, but there remains room for improvement ▪ Problem-solving and reasoning: the ability to anticipate problems and approach issues critically, logically, inductively, on the other dimensions of quality, equity, and unity. Consequently, and deductively in order to find solutions, and ultimately make returns (in the form of student outcomes) must be maximised for every decisions; and ringgit spent. As the Ministry strives towards delivering the education system aspirations, execution will be done responsibly and will pay ▪ Learning Capacity: the ability to independently drive one’s own heed to efficient and effective deployment of public resources so as to learning, coupled with the appreciation of the value of lifelong maximise student outcomes within the given budget. The Government learning. is also committed to maintaining the current level of investment in the system of approximately 16% of the annual federal budget. This is an area where the system has historically required more improvement, resulting in students being less able than they should be in applying knowledge and thinking critically outside of familiar academic contexts. Consequently, it is more important than ever for the The Malaysian education system aspires to ensure that every student in education system to help every student to acquire these thinking skills. every school in every state achieves their full potential. Each and every school leader, teacher, parent, and the community has an important Leadership skills role to play in ensuring that the young people in their charge are moving towards these aspirations. Being able to work effectively with and lead others is critical, especially
StUDent ASpirAtionS
The Blueprint will continue to use the National Education Philosophy’s vision of a balanced education as its foundation for individual student aspirations. This is in line with the feedback from the National Dialogue . It has also drawn on learnings from high-performing systems to develop a refined articulation of the specific attributes and competencies that students will need to succeed and thrive in an increasingly globalised world. Accordingly, the National Education Philosophy’s vision of a balanced education is reflected in six elements (Exhibit 2-3). The emphasis is not just on the importance of knowledge, but also on developing critical, creative, and innovative thinking skills; leadership skills; proficiency in Bahasa Malaysia and the English language; character
in our increasingly inter-connected world. In the National Dialogue, the importance of instilling leadership and the ability to work effectively in teams for every student was consistently raised. The education system seeks to help every student reach their full potential by taking on leadership roles, and by working in groups. In the context of the education system, leadership comprises four elements: ▪ Entrepreneurship: taking the initiative to create and develop one’s own solutions, the willingness to invest one’s own resources in doing so, and the drive to see these through to their realisation; ▪ Resilience: developing a mindset that is both constructive and able to withstand setbacks;
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Attributes and aspirations for every student
EXHIBIT 2-3
Attributes and aspirations for every student
Every student will have …
Image by MOE
L eadership skills Thinking skills K nowledge
B ilingual proficiency E thics and spirituality
National identity
… aligned with the National Education Philosophy
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▪ Emotional intelligence: possessing the ability to understand and work effectively with others and to influence them positively; and ▪ Strong communication skills: possessing the ability to clearly express one’s opinions and intentions in oral and written form. Schools will need to make use of the opportunities provided inside the classroom through project-based and group work, and outside of the classroom though sports, the arts, and co-curricular activities to build the character of their students.
Bilingual proficiency
Every student will be proficient in Bahasa Malaysia as the national language and in English as a second language and the international language of communication Every student will also ideally have the opportunity to learn an additional language. Malaysia’s unique diversity and multicultural heritage provides a competitive advantage to all. Therefore, over time, all students of all ethnicities and communities will be encouraged to learn at least three languages (Bahasa Malaysia, English language, and another language like Chinese language, Tamil, Arabic, Iban, Kadazan Dusun, etc.), allowing them to collaborate and communicate effectively with fellow Malaysians and Malaysia’s neighbours in today’s rapidly globalising world.
ethics and Spirituality
The education system will prepare every student to rise to the challenges they will inevitably face in adult life, to resolve conflicts peacefully, to employ sound judgment during critical moments, and to have the courage to do what is right. The emphasis will be on every student establishing a set of principles that includes strong shared values held in common by all Malaysians: ▪ Spirituality: to be strong in one’s beliefs as the foundation for living and to espouse high moral standards; ▪ Integrity: to possess the courage, the discipline, and the will to do the right thing; and ▪ Civic responsibility: to act for the good of the entire nation, to care for others and the environment around them, and to possess a deep capacity for social contribution.
national identity
An unshakeable sense of national identity, tied to the principles of the Rukunegara, is necessary for Malaysia’s future and to foster unity. Every student will identify themselves proudly as Malaysians, irrespective of ethnicity, beliefs, socio-economic status or geographical location. Achieving this patriotism requires a strong sense of inclusiveness, acquired through learning to understand and tolerate difference, to accept and respect others, as well as to live together and embrace the diversity within the Malaysian community. A common national identity also requires all students to understand Malaysia’s history, develop shared experiences in and out of school, and build shared aspirations for Malaysia’s future.
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There are five outcomes that the Blueprint aspires for the Malaysian education system as a whole, access, quality, equity, unity, and efficiency. These outcomes are in line with the aspirations articulated by participants during the National Dialogue, and are comparable to outcomes achieved by high-performing education systems. Beyond these system-wide outcomes, the Blueprint will also continue to use the National Education Philosophy’s vision of a balanced education as its aspiration for individual students. A solid combination of knowledge, thinking skills, leadership skills, bilingual proficiency, ethics and spirituality, and national identity are critical in preparing students to succeed and thrive in an increasingly globalised world.
CHAPTER 3
current
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3. current performance
The examination of the performance of the Malaysian education system begins with an analysis of how students have fared over time, and in comparison with other countries, along the system outcomes of access, quality, equity, unity, and efficiency. This chapter provides a clear and objective fact base, in order to establish a performance baseline for the Malaysian education system. It paints a picture of a nation with a great diversity of schools at different performance levels, some of which shine brightly as examples of excellence, deserving further study to understand successful practices.
The critical outcomes of access, quality, equity, unity, and efficiency in the Malaysian education system are the main focus areas for this Blueprint. These outcomes have been highlighted as priorities as far back as the Razak Report (1956) and have been consistently reinforced in subsequent reports and strategic plans, through to the most recent Education Development Master Plan (2006-2010). Only by critically examining and establishing where Malaysia currently stands in relation to achieving these five outcomes, can the Ministry and the nation begin to move towards building a more effective education system.
rates at the primary and secondary level have plateaued, remaining lower than that of high-performing education systems. This suggests that more effort needs to be made to enroll the hardest-to-reach population of children.
The education system has made tremendous progress since Malaysia’s independence in 1957, when very few children had access to education. At that time, more than half of the population had never had any formal schooling, only 6% of the people had received secondary level schooling, and only 1% had attained a post-secondary education. Today, access to education has been transformed beyond recognition. This has been acknowledged by the World Bank (2011) and the United Ensuring that all children in Malaysia have access to Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (2005), which attribute Malaysia’s success in achieving universal primary education to many the educational opportunities provided in the country factors including the Government’s early investment in education has been a key objective of the education system since to ensure all children have access to it, the political will to have the independence. There are two elements in “access”: the first involves getting students into seats in schools, and the institutional and policy framework in place, and commitment by all second requires students to remain in school long enough stakeholders.
ACCESS TO EDUCATION
to achieve a minimum level of schooling. Malaysia’s education system should rightly celebrate its exceptional success in raising the levels of access to education in Malaysia. Since independence, the country has achieved near-universal primary and lower secondary enrolment, while participation in preschool and upper-secondary education has also reached relatively high levels. Although the country has come a long way in terms of getting students into schools, challenges remain. Enrolment
Near-universal access has been achieved at the primary and lower secondary levels
Malaysia has achieved near-universal enrolment at the primary level at 96% (all enrolment rates are for public schools and private schools registered with the Ministry). The attrition rate (the percentage of students who drop out of primary school) has been reduced in recent years from 3% in 1989, to around 0.2% in 2011. Enrolment rates at the lower secondary level have reached 91%.
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EXHIBIT 3-1
Profile of the Malaysian education system
As of 30 June 2011
RM 37 Bn1
16% of total 2011 federal budget
Preschool
Total enrolment2 Public system Enrolment No. of students No. of schools No. of teachers Student-teacher ratio Average class size
Primary
Secondary
77%
42% 0.43 Mn 15,6274 17,899 24.0 23.6
96%
94% 2.86 Mn 7,714 227,098 13.4 29.4
86%
83%3 2.22 Mn3 2,218 177,382 13.1 29.8
1 Includes operating and development expenditure; excludes the additional RM12 billion allocated to the Ministry of Higher Education and other agencies providing education-related services 2 Includes enrolment into private schools 3 Excludes enrolment in post-secondary education 4 Public preschools refer to preschools operated by the Ministry of Education, KEMAS, and the National Unity Department Note: The rest of this preliminary Blueprint will report approximate numbers for students (5.4 mn), schools (10,000), teachers (410,000), and principals (10,000) Source: Malaysia Educational Statistics (2011)
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EXHIBIT 3-2
Enrolment rates at public primary and secondary schools
Percent (1983-2011)
2011
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008
Primary Lower Secondary Upper Secondary1
2012
1 Upper secondary schools include vocational and technical schools SOURCE: Malaysia Education Statistics (2011); Educational Policy, Planning and Research Division (historical publications)
The greatest improvement has undoubtedly been at the upper secondary level, where enrolment rates have almost doubled in recent decades, rising from 45% in the 1980s to 81% today (Exhibit 3-2). This means that 81% of every cohort now completes at least 11 years of schooling. Automatic progression of students was also instituted with the goal of addressing the inefficiency of repeating class years and to reduce dropout rates.
aged 4+ to 5+ are enrolled in some form of preschool education (either public or private) as of the end of 2011, a dramatic increase from 67% in 2009. Still, the government is pushing towards universal enrolment through the Education NKRA as part of the GTP launched in 2009. The significantly improved access to education for Malaysians is accompanied with a similar improvement in attainment over the past 30 years. Malaysia has delivered highly impressive improvements across many measures. At the most basic level, the youth literacy rate has risen from 88% in 1980 to near-universal literacy today of 99%, while the adult literacy rate has increased even more significantly, rising from less than 70% to over 92% today. The corollary of this is that the proportion of the adult population (aged 15 and above) with no schooling has declined from 60% in 1950 to less than 10% in 2010, while the proportion that has completed at least secondary education has risen from around 7% in 1950 to more than 75% in 2010 (Exhibit 3-3).
“During the five-plus decades since independence, there has been a dramatic improvement in access to education.”
In parallel, there has been rapid expansion of preschool education. Early childcare and associated development activities have been an explicit part of the government’s agenda since 2000 when it signed on as a signatory to the UNESCO World Bank (2011) Education For All declaration. As a result, around 77% of children
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EXHIBIT 3-3
Educational attainment of population aged 15 and above (1950-2010)
Percent of population
Tertiary Secondary Primary No Schooling
6
1
7
1
10
2
2 13
2
2
3
6
19
8
9
10
24
13
15
33
31
35
38
39
39
41
51
43
56
41
59
61
38 33 39 26 13 1995
60
56
50
44
37
32
22 12 2000
28 1980
18 10 2005
21 1985
15 9 2010
15 1990
1950
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
SOURCE: Barro and Lee, 2010 (Eurostat, UN)
All of this improvement has been driven by the government’s increased commitment to financially supporting the development and growth of all school communities. Since 1981, the Ministry has supported the development of schools around Malaysia at the rate of 1% each year, dramatically increasing student access to education. This means that there were 2,000 more schools in 2010 than there were in 1980. Similarly, the Ministry has put hundreds of millions of ringgit towards programmes specifically designed to help economically disadvantaged students. These programmes include initiatives to provide for students’ nutritional needs such as the Supplementary Food Programme or Rancangan Makanan Tambahan (RMT), and to reduce the financial burden of schooling on parents, for example through the KWAPM. The Ministry also has programmes for students with special needs and dedicated Orang Asli and Penan primary schools.
While access to basic education is strong, the 2011 UNESCO review on Malaysian education policy highlighted a concern that primary education enrolment has not continued to grow, in contrast with the most developed countries in the region such as South Korea and Japan which have participation rates of close to 100%. The UNESCO review also noted that upper secondary participation rates, while showing a big improvement from several decades past, remain lower than that of developed regional peers like Japan and South Korea, where enrolment consistently exceeds 90%. As the system has capacity to accommodate universal access, more effort needs to be made to enroll the 5-10% hardest-to-reach population of children.
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QUAlITy Of EDUCATION
While national examination results indicate that student performance has been improving steadily, it is also imperative that Malaysia compares its education system against international benchmarks. This is to ensure that Malaysia is keeping pace with international educational development. Malaysia’s performance in TIMSS indicates that student performance has fallen from 1999 to 2007. The results of the 2009+ PISA also showed that Malaysia ranked in the bottom third of 74 participating countries, below the international and OECD average. The Ministry believes it is important to further evaluate the outcomes of these assessments to understand any shortfalls in standards.
The quality of an education system encompasses multiple dimensions. The assessment of quality in this chapter focuses largely on the intellectual dimension of academic student outcomes, with the benefit of available and measurable data. It is acknowledged that the numbers alone tell only one side of the story. There are other critical aspects vital to the quality of education such as a student’s spiritual, emotional, and physical development. Nonetheless, children who are unable to master core intellectual skills such as literacy and numeracy, as well as higher-order thinking, will be less likely to succeed in today’s rapidly changing economy and globalised society.
Student performance in national examinations has consistently improved each year. However, in this day and age, internal comparisons are no longer enough to ensure competitiveness on the world stage. Over the past two decades, international assessments have emerged as a way of directly comparing the quality of educational outcomes across different countries and across systems. These assessments concentrate on Mathematics, Science, and Reading, and include an examination of the cognitive skills involved in their effective application. While they paint an incomplete picture of schooling outcomes, they offer insight into the real strengths and weaknesses of important areas of education, including the use of essential skills such as analytical reasoning, application, and capacity for continued learning. In this regard, they provide useful perspectives on Malaysia’s student performance relative to other systems. To gain an understanding of how Malaysia’s students fare, the results of the country’s participation in two major international assessments were examined: TIMSS and PISA.
Student performance in national examinations is improving
Malaysian students’ performance in the three national examinations (UPSR, PMR, and SPM) has shown fairly constant and even improving outcomes. Two common measures used to assess outcomes are the school Grade Point Average or Gred Purata Sekolah (GPS) and percentage of students achieving passing and excellent grades. From 2004, both these measures have shown an improving trend in terms of absolute values across all three national examinations (Exhibit 3-5).
peer groups used in this chapter
Throughout this chapter, three different peer groups have been used in making comparisons between Malaysia and other education systems. While it has not always been possible to get information for each country in every comparison, the constituents of all the category groups (in terms of countries) have been kept constant throughout (Exhibit 3-4). Where OECD or international averages have been available, these have also been included in the comparison groups. Top-performing Asian systems such as South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore Southeast Asian neighbours such as Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore Comparable GDP per capita countries (Purchasing Power Parity (PPP)-adjusted) such as Romania, Mexico, and Chile
EXHIBIT 3-4
Profile of peer countries
Number of schools (unit) Malaysia ASEAN peers Indonesia Thailand Singapore Asian Tigers
South Korea 10,000
Number of students (‘000)
5,400
Number of teachers (‘000)
410
GDP per capita (PPP-adjusted)
14,591
256,460 35,865 356 19,974 1,105 37,581 241,184 10,052 6,439
45,746 10,936 511 7,602 781 14,887 29,854 3,059 2,735
2,748 628 30 469 52 1,050 1,454 170 199
4,325 8,554 57,936 29,004 46,503 33,753 14,498 15,732 14,287
Hong Kong Japan Mexico Chile Romania
Comparable GDP per capita
Note: Education data for basic through pre-tertiary (2010 or latest year available) SOURCE: Ministry of Education; Department of Statistics; World Bank
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EXHIBIT 3-5
Malaysian national examination results (2000-2011)
UPSR PMR SPM
Papers graded as pass in national assessments1 Percent of papers graded
92 90 88 86 84 82 80 78 76 74 72 70 2000 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 2011
Papers graded as an A in national assessments Percent of papers graded
35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 2000 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 2011
national examinations
Assessment is an intrinsic part of the teaching and learning process. The Examination Syndicate or Lembaga Peperiksaan (LP) currently conducts three national examinations at the end of primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education. ▪ UPSR: An examination designed as an internal national qualification to mark the completion of primary school. The subjects tested in UPSR include Bahasa Malaysia, English language, Mathematics, and Science for students in SKs. Students at National-type primary schools also sit for Mandarin, Chinese or Tamil language; ▪ PMR: Similar to the UPSR, the PMR is an internal national qualification taken by Form 3 students at the end of lower secondary school. Subjects tested include Bahasa Malaysia, English language, Mathematics, Science, Geography, History, Living Skills, Islamic Education, and Moral Education. A number of optional subjects are also available for examination, such as Mandarin, Tamil, and Arabic. The PMR will be replaced with a school-based assessment system in 2014; and ▪ SPM: The SPM is the national examination taken by all Form 5 students at the end of secondary school. It is deliberately benchmarked and internationally recognised as equivalent to the O-Levels. The examination involves a combination of compulsory subjects: Bahasa Malaysia, English language, Islamic Education (for Muslim students), Moral Studies (for non-Muslim students), History, Mathematics, and Science. There is also a wide number of elective subjects across the fields of Arts and Health, Information and Communication Technology, Languages and Literature, Technical and Vocational, Science and Mathematics, Social Sciences and Religion. In addition to the examinations set by LP, the Malaysian Examinations Council or Majlis Peperiksaan Malaysia (MPM), also under the Ministry, administers the Malaysian Higher School Certificate or Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) and Malaysian Religious Higher Certificate or Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM) for post-secondary education.
1 In UPSR, failing grades are D and E. In PMR, the failing grade is E. In SPM, the failing grade is G9. Note: Data for SPM 2003 is not available and is interpolated SOURCE: Examination Syndicate
The national examination results appear to show absolute improvement in grades over time in the core subjects of Bahasa Malaysia, English, Mathematics, and Science, though there are significant differences in performance in each subject (Exhibit 3-6). Students perform better in Bahasa Malaysia than in English language at all levels. For example, 9% of students failed Bahasa Malaysia in SPM 2011, as compared to 23% for English language. At the other end of the spectrum, 30% of students received an excellent grade in Bahasa Malaysia, as compared to 16% in English language. EXHIBIT 3-6
Comparison of performance in core subjects (2011)
Excellent Average Fail
UPSR1 Percent of all papers
PMR Percent of all papers
SPM Percent of all papers
45
24
37
18
26
26
30
18
19
19
30
32
16
64 44
55 50 68 68 62
60
75
74
61
49
61
11 Bahasa Malaysia
12
13 Mathematics
26
6 Bahasa Malaysia
6
8 Mathematics
21
6 Chemistry2
8 Science
9 Bahasa Malaysia
20 Mathematics
23 English language
English language
1 Weighted average of UPSR results by subject for SK, SJK(C) and SJK(T) 2 Chemistry is generally taken by science stream students while general science is generally taken by arts stream students SOURCE: Examination Syndicate
English language
Science
Science
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Malaysia’s performance in TIMSS
When Malaysia first participated in TIMSS in 1999, the students scored above the international average for Mathematics with 519 points and was ranked 16th out of 38 countries (Exhibit 3-7). The Science score of 492 was also above the international average, although the country was ranked lower at 22nd position (Exhibit 3-8). EXHIBIT 3-7
Malaysia’s performance in TIMSS 8th Grade Mathematics against other countries over three cycles
1 TIMSS 1999 Rank 1 2 3 4 5 Country Singapore Korea Chinese Taipei Hong Kong Japan Score 604 587 585 582 579 2 TIMSS 2003 Rank 1 2 3 4 5 Country Singapore Korea Hong Kong Chinese Taipei Japan Score 605 589 586 585 570 3 TIMSS 2007 Rank 1 2 3 4 5 12 13 Country Chinese Taipei Korea Singapore Hong Kong Japan Score 598 597 593 572 570
Regional peers
…
…
…
16
21 22 27 34 38
MALAYSIA … … …
Indonesia South Africa
519
10
26 27 34
MALAYSIA …
508
Slovenia 501 International Average Armenia 499
…
New Zealand 491 International Average Lithuania Thailand 482 467 403 275
Romania 475 International Average Norway Indonesia 461 411
20
29 36
MALAYSIA …
Thailand
474
441 397
… ……… …
Indonesia
…
1 Excluding 4 non-national (i.e. state-level) benchmarking participants and 1 participant that did not satisfy the guidelines 2 Excluding 7 non-national (i.e. state-level) benchmarking participants and 1 participant that did not satisfy the guidelines SOURCE: TIMSS 1999, 2003, and 2007
EXHIBIT 3-8
Malaysia’s performance in TIMSS 8th Grade Science against other countries over three cycles
1 TIMSS 1999 Rank 1 2 3 4 5 Country Chinese Taipei Singapore Hungary Japan Korea Score 569 568 552 550 549 2 TIMSS 2003 Rank 1 2 3 4 5 Country Singapore Chinese Taipei Korea Hong Kong Estonia Score 578 571 558 556 552 3 TIMSS 2007 Rank 1 2 3 4 5 14 Country Singapore Chinese Taipei Japan Korea England Score 567 561 554 553 542
Regional peers
…
451
…
South Africa
264
482
Qatar
307
comparability of International assessments
Comparability of TIMSS and PISA: As described above, the TIMSS tests focus on elements of the curricula common to participating countries, while the PISA tests focus on applied assessments of real-world problems, irrespective of the curricula of the participating countries. Nonetheless, researchers at Stanford University, USA, have found that the two are highly correlated at the country level—up to 0.87 for Mathematics, and 0.97 for Science. This means that a country that performs well on TIMSS is highly likely to perform well on PISA, and vice versa.
…
…………
…
20
492
497 25 26 36 451
MALAYSIA ……
510
Sweden 511 International Average Scotland 496
15
What is the universal Scale?
In Exhibit 3-15, the TIMSS and PISA scores have been converted to a universal scale (based on methodology developed by Hanushek et. al). This conversion was done to allow for comparison across different subjects, grade levels, and assessments. The universal scale also allows for classification of different countries’ performance into broad groupings of Poor, Fair, Good, Great, and Excellent. For further information, please refer to the Universal Scale section in Appendix IV.
…
19 23 24
22
Germany
MALAYSIA …
21
472 420 244 22 35
MALAYSIA …
Thailand
471
471 427
Lithuania 488 International Average Thailand 482 435 243
Jordan 475 International Average Moldova
…
…
32 38
Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia
South Africa
1 Excluding 4 non-national (i.e. state-level) benchmarking participants and 1 participant that did not satisfy the guidelines 2 Excluding 7 non-national (i.e. state-level) benchmarking participants and 1 participant that did not satisfy the guidelines SOURCE: TIMSS 1999, 2003, and 2007
… …
South Africa
…
482
Ghana
…
303
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Malaysia’s performance in the 2003 cycle showed some improvement in achievement. The score for Mathematics fell slightly to 508, although the country remained above the international average and its ranking actually rose to 10th out of 45 countries. Its performance in Science improved by 18 points to 510, well above the international average and ranked 20th out of 45 countries. The 2007 results, however, saw a marked downturn with both Mathematics and Science scores falling below the international average. The Mathematics score fell 34 points to 474 (20th position out of 48 countries). The Science score fell to 471 (21st out of 48 countries). Up to 20% of students in Malaysia did not meet the minimum benchmarks in Mathematics and Science in 2007, a two- to fourfold increase since 2003 (Exhibit 3-9). These students were shown to understand basic Mathematics and Science concepts but generally struggled to apply this knowledge. EXHIBIT 3-9
Comparison of Malaysia’s internal performance on TIMSS (1999-2007)
TIMSS Mathematics scores, 1999-2007 Percent of students
Advanced1
EXHIBIT 3-10
Comparison of Malaysia’s 2007 TIMSS performance against other countries
% of students by performance level in TIMSS Mathematics
4 40 40 31 3 2 2 0
Advanced1 Intermediate Below minimum
% of students by performance level in TIMSS Science
17 10 3 3 3 2 0
48 79 63 80 73
32
77 61 80 82
77
75
75
65
58
57
63
34 52 18 Malaysia 25 Indonesia
2 South Korea
3 Singapore
6 Hong Kong
17 Romania
7 Singapore
3 South Korea
8 Hong Kong
20 Malaysia
20 Thailand
22
23 Romania
35
1 Advanced benchmark: able to organize information, make generalisations, solve non-routine problems and draw and justify conclusions from data Note: Countries arranged by proportion of students in advanced level in descending order SOURCE: TIMSS 2007 for 8th Grade
TIMSS Science scores, 1999-2007 Percent of students
Advanced1 5 4 3
10
6
2
Delving into the TIMSS data provides further insights about the performance of the education system in terms of Mathematics and Science. TIMSS assesses student proficiency across three different types of cognitive skills: knowledge recall, the application of knowledge in solving problems, and the ability to reason in working through problems. Malaysian students did not perform well with regards to any of these three dimensions (Exhibit 3-11). EXHIBIT 3-11
Comparison of TIMSS 2007 student performance along the dimensions of knowledge, application and reasoning
Knowledge Applying Reasoning
Intermediate
83
87
80
Intermediate
82
77 91
Below Minimum2
7 1999
7 2003
18 2007
Below Minimum2
13 1999
5 2003
20 2007
Scores in TIMSS Mathematics TIMSS 2007 score
Scores in TIMSS Science TIMSS 2007 score
1 Advanced: Students can organise information, make generalisations, solve non-routine problems and draw and justify conclusions from data 2 Below minimum: Students have little to no subject knowledge NOTE: The language used in 1999 and 2003 was Bahasa Malaysia. In 2007, it was in both English and Bahasa Malaysia SOURCE: TIMSS 1999, 2003, and 2007
300
Indonesia
400 397 398 405
500
600
600
500 425 426 438
400
Indonesia
Malaysia
A breakdown of student performance in the most recent TIMSS 2007 results in comparison to other systems shows that relatively few of Malaysia’s students are excelling. Only 2-3% of Malaysian students perform at the highest benchmark level, such as complex problemsolving; in comparison, more than 30% of students in Singapore scored at the advanced level in Mathematics and Science (Exhibit 3-10).
477 478 468 574 569 557 581 593 579 596 595 579 532 522 533 543 547 558 554 567 564
458 473 487
Malaysia
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Singapore
South Korea
South Korea
Singapore
SOURCE: TIMSS 2007 for 8th Grade
Indonesia
Thailand
Int’l average
Int’l average
3-9
Malaysia’s performance in PISA 2009+
Malaysia participated in the PISA assessment for the first time in its 2009+ exercise. Out of 74 countries, Malaysia performed in the bottom third for Reading, Mathematics and Science, well below both the international and OECD average in all three areas. In the latest assessment, Malaysia’s performance was at least 100 points below that of regional peers like Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong on all three dimensions (Exhibit 3-12). In PISA, a 38 point difference is the equivalent of one schooling year of learning. This means that 15-year-olds in Malaysia are performing as though they have had three years’ less schooling than 15-year-olds in these countries—the very countries that Malaysia seeks to compete against in today’s knowledge economy. Compared to Shanghai, the world’s bestperforming school system in PISA 2009+, the gap is equivalent to four years of schooling. Almost 60% of Malaysian students failed to meet the minimum benchmarks in Mathematics—the baseline proficiency required for students to participate effectively and productively in life (Exhibit 3-13). Similarly, 44% and 43% of students do not meet minimum proficiency levels in Reading and Science respectively. Please refer to Appendix V for a sample of PISA questions. EXHIBIT 3-13
Comparison of Malaysia’s performance in PISA 2009+ by skill level against the OECD average
Percentage of students at different performance levels on PISA 2009+1 1 Reading Advanced Intermediate 0 2 Mathematics Advanced Intermediate 0 3 Science Advanced Intermediate 0
testing possible factors for malaysia’s performance decline in tImSS
Three factors have been raised as possible reasons for Malaysia’s decline in the TIMSS assessment: the degree to which the content in the national curriculum matches that which is tested in TIMSS, the shift in language policy, and sampling methodology. However, all three are deemed to be unlikely to be a major driver for the following reasons: Incomplete coverage of the concepts assessed in TIMSS by the national curriculum is unlikely to account for the decline. While there has been some drop in the common content between the Mathematics test questions of TIMSS and the national curriculum between 2003 and 2007 (from 98% in 2003 to 75% in 2007 based on the Ministry’s self-assessment), the same cannot be said for Science, where overlap remains high at 90%. Bahasa Malaysia and English language questions were both provided as options in the TIMSS assessments for Malaysia. Therefore results should not have been affected by the language of testing used for TIMSS. The sampling approach is unlikely to be a major driver. The sample of schools tested in TIMSS reflects the overall performance of Malaysia’s schools based on a distribution of schools by national performance band.
8
13
8
56 74
40 65
57 74
Below minimum
44 19 Malaysia OECD average
Below minimum
59 22 Malaysia OECD average
Below minimum
43 18 Malaysia OECD average
1 Advanced includes proficiency level 5 and level 6; Intermediate includes proficiency level 2, 3, and 4; and Below minimum includes proficiency level 1 and below Note: Score is an average of sample of schools in Malaysia: 80% National secondary schools, 3% Religious schools, 4% technical and vocational schools, 3% full boarding schools, 3% MARA Junior Science Colleges, 7% private schools by students SOURCE: PISA 2009+
Below minimum proficiency as defined by PISA means: ▪ In Reading, students are unable to do one or more of the following: locate one or more pieces of information in a text, recognise the main idea in a text, make low-level inferences or comparisons between information in the text and everyday knowledge; ▪ In Mathematics, students are unable to employ basic algorithms, formulae, procedures, or conventions. They are not capable of direct reasoning and literal interpretations of the results, even though they can answer clearly defined questions involving familiar contexts; and
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EXHIBIT 3-12
Comparison of Malaysia’s PISA 2009+ ranking against other countries
Comparison of Malaysia’s PISA 2009+ ranking against other countries
1 Reading Rank 1 2 3 4 5 18 19 42 43 53 Country Shanghai-China Korea Finland Hong Kong Singapore United Kingdom OECD Average Germany Mean score 556 539 536 533 526 494 497 459 449 421 2 Mathematics Rank 1 2 33 4 5 20 21 41 42 52 Country Shanghai-China Singapore Hong Kong Korea Taiwan Austria OECD Average Slovak Republic Croatia International Average Israel Thailand Mean score 600 562 555 546 543 3 Science Rank 1 2 3 4 5 20 21 40 41 51 Country Shanghai-China Finland Hong Kong Singapore Japan Mean score 575 554 549 542 Image by MOE 539 508 500 470 461 425
Regional peers
…
Russian Fed. Chile Thailand
International Average
… …
…
496 497 460 447
Ireland OECD Average Czech Republic
…
… …
… …
Greece International Average Malta Thailand
…
…
419
…
55
62
MALAYSIA
Indonesia
414
402
57
68
MALAYSIA
Indonesia
404
371
52
66
MALAYSIA …
Indonesia
422
383
Note: Countries are ranked in descending order of the percentage of top performers (Level 5 or 6) SOURCE: PISA 2009+
▪ In Science, students have very limited scientific knowledge that can only be applied to a few familiar situations. They can present scientific explanations that follow explicitly from the given evidence, but will struggle to draw conclusions or make interpretations from simple investigations. Just as with TIMSS in 2007, the PISA 2009+ results also show that very few Malaysian students are performing at an Advanced level (approximately 0.1% for Reading, Mathematics, and Science) compared to the OECD countries (where almost 8% perform at this level). Performing at an Advanced level in PISA means:
…
…
▪ In Reading, students are able to make multiple inferences, comparisons, and contrasts that are both detailed and precise. They are also able to develop critical evaluations or hypotheses, drawing on specialised knowledge; ▪ In Mathematics, students are able to interpret more complex information, and negotiate a number of processing steps. They demonstrate insight in identifying a suitable solution strategy, and display other higher-order cognitive processes to explain or communicate results; and
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▪ In Science, students are able to identify, explain and apply TIMSS and PISA highlight that there are Good scientific knowledge in a variety of complex life situations. and Great schools in Malaysia worthy of study They consistently demonstrate advanced scientific thinking and reasoning. Students are able to use scientific knowledge and develop and replication arguments in support of recommendations and decisions that centre While Malaysia’s performance as a system on the international on personal, social, or global situations. assessments is not as strong as is desired, an analysis of the distribution of scores by school shows that there are schools worthy The contrast with other top-performing Asian countries is obvious: of study and replication (Exhibit 3-16). These are schools whose the percentage of students in Singapore, South Korea, and Hong Kong performance falls in the Good or Great performance band by performing at the Advanced level in reading is 120-150 times that of international standards. In the TIMSS 2007 assessment, for example, Malaysia (Exhibit 3-14). 11% of schools performed in the Great band, while another 30% were in Good. In the PISA 2009+ assessment, 7% of schools were in the EXHIBIT 3-14 Good band.
Comparison of Malaysia’s PISA 2009+ performance in Reading by skill level against other countries
Percentage of students at each performance levels1 in PISA 2009+ Reading
EXHIBIT 3-16
Malaysian school performance by performance bracket for TIMSS 2007 and PISA 2009+
Advanced
12.9
12.4
15.7
13.4
7.6
0.7
0.3
0.1
0
58.9
Intermediate
56.8
55.9
46.6
TIMSS 2007 Participating schools by performance bracket Performance bracket
PISA 2009+ Participating schools by performance bracket Performance bracket Excellent Great Good Fair Poor
81.3
79.3
71.8
73.0
73.6
Number 0 17 45 64 24 150
Percent 0% 11% 30% 43% 16% 100%
Number 0 0 11 20 121 152
Percent 0% 0% 7% 13% 80% 100%
40.4 Below minimum 5.8 Korea 8.3 Hong Kong 12.5 Singapore 13.6 Japan 18.8
42.9
44.0
53.4
Excellent Great Good Fair Poor
OECD Romania Thailand average
Malay- Indonesia sia
1 Advanced includes proficiency level 5 and level 6; Intermediate includes proficiency level 2, 3, and 4; and Below minimum includes proficiency level 1 and below SOURCE: PISA 2009+
Exhibit 3-15 compares all the countries taking part in international assessments and how well their students performed. The vertical axis shows their level of achievement on the universal scale. Countries are classified based on the universal scale into broad performance bands of Poor, Fair, Good, Great, and Excellent. The difference between each performance band (approximately 40 universal scale points) is equivalent to one year of schooling. Thus, 15-year-olds in a Good system are performing as though they have had one extra year of schooling compared to 15-year-olds in a Fair system. The horizontal axis of the chart shows the public expenditure on education per student in US dollars (PPP adjusted) as of 2008. All the countries have been allocated to the bar that corresponds to their expenditure band. The number at the top of this bar is the maximum score achieved (by a particular country) for this level of expenditure, and the number at the bottom represents the minimum score. The chart highlights Malaysia’s public expenditure per student in 2008. Combining the two axes highlights the variation in performance between countries that have similar levels of expenditure in education.
SOURCE: TIMSS 2007; PISA 2009+
The Ministry also has two types of Special Awards to recognise schools with outstanding performance: HPS and Cluster Schools (CS). There are 66 HPS around the country, with enhanced decision-making rights (and accountability) to sustain performance while enabling principals and teachers to continue to raise the bar (Exhibit 3-17). There are also 170 CS nationwide.
National examinations and international assessments suggest variance in standards
There is some evidence to suggest that there is a lack of alignment between the national and international assessments in terms of how standards are defined. These discrepancies go some way toward explaining the mismatch between the trends seen in the national examinations and those revealed in the international assessments.
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EXHIBIT 3-15
Country performance in international assessments relative to public spend per student
Universal scale score1 2009 (max, median, min)
580 560 540 520 500 480 460 440 420 400 380 360 340 320 0 0– 1,000 1,000– 2,000 2,000– 3,000 3000– 4,000 4,000– 5,000 5,000– 6,000 6,000– 7,000 7,000– 8,000 8,000– 9,000 9,000– 10,000 10,000 +
Kyrgyzstan Uruguay Algeria Philippines W. Cape El Savador Jordan Azerbaijan Ghana Indonesia Georgia Morocco Slovak Republic Chinese Taipei Shanghai
578 544
Singapore Korea, Rep. Australia Estonia Czech Republic
Excellent 547 531
Japan Hong Kong New Zealand
545 530
Ontario Canada Finland Belg.Flanders
531 Great
489
Poland Hungary Latvia Croatia Greece Israel Oman Saudi Arabia
Macao SAR, China Portugal
Germany France Spain Slovenia Italy
UK Iceland Ireland Cyprus
Lithuania Armenia Syria
478
Turkey
486
Netherlands Switzerland Norway Denmark USA Sweden Austria Belg. CFB Luxembourg
Good
Russia
464
483 Fair
455
Chile
441 Iran
Bahrain Serbia Bulgaria
Malta
458
458
Thailand Mauritius Moldova Kazakhstan Colombia Tunisia Panama
Romania Mexico Malaysia Argentina
422
Kuwait
Botswana
412
397
402 Poor
370
327
Public spend per student2, PPP units
1 Universal scale based on Hanushek & Woessmann methodology, to enable comparison across systems. 2 Public spend per student for basic education (pre-school, primary, and secondary school levels) for 2008 current prices Note: Malaysia 2008 public spend is USD3000 SOURCE: World Bank EdStats; IMF; UNESCO; PISA 2009+, TIMSS 2007; PIRLS 2006; Global Insight; McKinsey & Company.
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EXHIBIT 3-17
Selected profiles of High Performing Schools in Malaysia
SK Ulu Lubai, Sarawak
▪ 100% pass rate in UPSR ▪
since 2006 First rural school in M’sia to achieve HPS status performer in UPSR Outstanding performance in co-curricular activities such as taekwondo and public speaking.
66 awarded HPS schools were
▪ Consistently a top
SK Zainab (2), Kelantan
▪
status in recognition of their excellence across all aspects of education
▪ Consistently a top
SJK(C) Foon Yew (2), Johor
▪
performer in UPSR Excellent track record in international academic competitions in Mathematics and Chinese 100% pass rate in SPM Outstanding performance in co-curricular activities such as orchestra and rugby.
SM Sultan Abdul Hamid, Kedah
▪ Consistently achieved a ▪
SMK for five consecutive years Aminuddin ▪ Excellent record in Baki, WP international sporting Kuala events, for example Lumpur swimming High Performing Schools is an initiative under the NKRA aimed at elevating the quality of schools to world-class standards. Schools awarded HPS status are granted greater operational flexibility to innovate and continue raising the bar. These schools will also support raising standards across the entire system by coaching other schools to improve performance.
SOURCE: Fully Residential and Excellent Schools Management Division
▪ 100% pass rate in SPM
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Comparison of results between the TIMSS 2007 (Form 2) and PMR 2008 (Form 3) examinations for the same set of schools tested shows that there appears to be a mismatch between the two in terms of the definition of excellence. In consequence, in PMR 2008, 30% of students received an Excellent (A) grade in Mathematics, as compared to just 2% in TIMSS 2007 achieving Advanced levels (Exhibit 3-18). One possible reason for this misalignment of standards is that the national and international assessments have different testing foci. PISA, for example, focuses on questions that test for higherorder thinking skills such as application and reasoning. Malaysia’s national assessments, on the other hand, have a heavier slant towards questions that test for content knowledge. EXHIBIT 3-18
Comparison of TIMSS 2007 results with PMR 2008
Advanced / A Below Minimum / E
Comparison of Cambridge English standards with the SPM English language paper also shows differences in the setting of standards. The SPM English paper (which is not necessarily intended to test native speakers of English) is benchmarked externally to Cambridge’s 1119 paper for native speakers of English, allowing students to obtain a grade under both examination scales. LP and the Cambridge International Examinations set different cut-off grades for SPM English papers. This difference is most stark at the border between pass and fail. Under the Cambridge grading scale, 50% of Form 5 students failed to achieve minimum standards. Under the Malaysian grading scale, approximately 20% of students were deemed to have failed (Exhibit 3-19).
EXHIBIT 3-19
Comparison of SPM 2011 English language grades with Cambridge English language grades
Percentage of students obtaining each letter grade by international and national assessment scales Percent of students
17
60
SPM Cambridge Assessments
Mathematics scores Percent of students 2
30
Science scores Percent of students 3
80 58
77 72
40
20
18 TIMSS 2007
12 PMR 20081
20 TIMSS 2007
11 PMR 20081
0
A+
A1
A
AA2
B+
B3
B
B4
C+
C5
C
C6
D
D7
E
E8
G
G9
SPM grade Cambridge grade
1 The distribution of grades illustrated is for schools that participated in TIMSS 2007 SOURCE: TIMSS 2007; Examination Syndicate
NOTE: SPM English language assessments are assessed once, but receive two grades per paper based on national and international cut-off points respectively SOURCE: Examination Syndicate
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Student completion rates for one cohort
Tracking the path of the cohort of students entering public schools in Year 1 in primary school in 2000, through to their completion of Form Five in 2010 indicates that around 36% of this cohort are either no longer enrolled in school, or have failed to achieve minimum standards in SPM examinations for core subjects (defined as Bahasa Malaysia, English language, Mathematics, Science, History, and Moral or Islamic Education) (Exhibit 3-20). An additional 11% have switched out of the public school system to private schools. A comparable trend was noted for the Year 1 cohort of 1999, as well. This suggests that one-third of every cohort is not reaching the minimum achievement level desired of all students. EXHIBIT 3-20
School completion rates for the 2000 Year 1 student cohort
Student cohort outcomes across schooling phases Percent of total enrolment in 2000 100% = 509,329 Achieved minimum standards
EXHIBIT 3-21
Results of 2011 Jobstreet survey on graduate employment
Top 5 reasons why fresh graduates were rejected after interview sessions Percent of respondents N = 571 human resource personnel Unrealistic salary demands Bad character, attitude and personality of the jobseeker Poor command of English language Lack of good communication skills Too choosy about the job or company they wish to work for
38 64 60 56 52
“On the question about the level of quality among our fresh graduates today, 66% of the respondents rated them as ‘average’ and 23% rated them as ‘poor’.” – Jobstreet 2011
SOURCE: Jobstreet survey (October 2011)
65
Total size of student cohort
55
52
100
6 1 33 0.4 Year 1 2000 UPSR 2005 32 7 PMR 2008 28 8 SPM 2010 11
Switched school system1 Failed 1 or more core subjects2 Out of school system3 36% fail to meet min. standard
1 Refers to students who took the national assessment as a non-public school candidate. 2 Fail refers to failing at least 1 subject, including Bahasa Malaysia, English language, History, Moral Education or Islamic Education, Mathematics and Science (General Science for arts stream, either Physics, Chemistry or Biology for science stream students) 3 Includes drop-outs and students who transferred to private schools not using the national curriculum (for example, international schools)
SOURCE: Educational Policy, Planning and Research Division; Examination Syndicate
▪ Public opinion polls: Broader public opinion appears to be mixed. A public opinion poll conducted by the Merdeka Centre in December 2004 on a sample of 850 Malaysians (aged 16 to 30) found that the majority of them (68% of Indians, 58% of Chinese, and 50% of Malays) felt that the education they received had prepared them inadequately for the challenges of living and working in today’s society. In contrast, a 2011 public survey of 1,800 Malaysians indicated that overall, 55% of them believed that the Malaysian education system was comparable in standards to those of developed countries, and 35% believed that it was better. Though the limitations of such surveys need to be acknowledged, the Ministry believes that these concerns need to be heeded. The potential of children in Malaysia need to be met with the educational quality that will ensure that they can realise their dreams and ambitions once they leave school.
Public perception of the quality of education outcomes is mixed
Expectations of the Malaysian education system vary across different groups. As a result, the public perception of the quality of Malaysia’s education system is mixed: ▪ Industry perspectives: Interviews conducted with employers and industry leaders reveal that there is widespread concern over the extent to which students are being equipped with the right skills to succeed in modern society (Exhibit 3-21). In particular, employers are concerned about: (i) the lack of higher-order thinking skills, such as problem solving and creative thinking, and (ii) the level of graduates’ English proficiency (a particular concern of the private sector); ▪ Student perspectives: The students themselves appear optimistic. A recent survey of approximately 23,000 school-going children (Year 6, Form 2, and Form 4) conducted in 2011 shows that they are optimistic about the education they are receiving. For instance, 95% of students agreed or strongly agreed that their education was helping them develop the right set of life skills; and
Available data suggest that holistic development of students is occurring
As part of its objective of providing a balanced education, the Ministry recognises the importance of understanding its performance in supporting students’ spiritual, emotional, and physical development. To that end, the three best available sources of data on this issue were examined: (i) schools’ scores on student outcome (kemenjadian murid) as part of the annual school quality self-assessment exercise; (ii) the 2011 results of targeted school inspections on student discipline; and (iii) the percentage of students involved in disciplinary cases in 2011.
Schools generally show positive self-evaluation scores on student outcomes Each year, schools are required to conduct a self-assessment using the Standard of Quality Education Malaysia, or Standard Kualiti Pendidikan Malaysia (SKPM), on five dimensions related to school quality: leadership and direction, organisational administration,
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administration of students’ welfare, curricular and co-curricular activities, teaching and learning, and student outcomes. For the last dimension, the schools consider both academic and non-academic outcomes including co-curricular participation and the attitudes, behaviours, and moral values demonstrated by students at school. This dimension is graded on a 15 point scale, with 15 being the best rating possible. Overall, the results of this self-assessment are fairly positive: 76% of primary schools rated themselves at 10 points or higher on this dimension, as compared to 44% at the secondary level. Only 1% of primary and secondary schools reported a rating of less than 5 points.
Targeted school inspections found that discipline is not a major issue JNJK conducts targeted inspections each year on specific issues that are of concern to the Minister of Education. In 2011, one of these targeted inspections looked at the issue of student discipline in 51 schools nationwide (75% of which were primary schools).
Two elements were examined: student discipline during lessons (for example, the degree to which students followed their teacher’s instructions) and their behaviour outside of the classroom. On a scale of 1 to 6, with 1 being Very Weak, and 6 being Excellent, the JNJK inspectors rated overall student discipline at level 4, otherwise known as having “potential to improve.” There were no discernible differences across urban and rural primary schools. However, urban secondary schools were found to have more issues regarding discipline, and were, on average, rated at level 3 (Satisfactory) as compared to rural secondary schools which were rated at level 4. Specifically, students at urban secondary schools were found to be less likely to take care of school property, to have lower self-confidence, to be less likely to assist their peers, or to act in a polite and respectful manner.
Image by y Azmil77, Flickr CC 2.0
feedback from the national Dialogue
During the National Dialogue, the Ministry consulted with almost 12,000 members of the general public in addition to specific stakeholder groups. Malaysians from all walks of life highlighted the importance of raising the quality of the education system. Three critical factors were identified by participants (listed in order of frequency of citation): ▪ Teacher quality: Teachers, parents, and students alike spoke extensively on the need to enhance the quality of teachers. Specific aspects touched upon included administrative burden, training, performance management, and remuneration; ▪ School quality: Specific aspects highlighted for improvement include providing a better learning environment in terms of infrastructure but also student discipline. Participants also suggested enablers to achieve those improvements (e.g., renewed performance management, greater school-based management; and ▪ Student learning: Participants expressed a desire for a more relevant curriculum and better language proficiency and communication abilities for students. More details on points raised during the National Dialogue can be found in Appendix III.
Percentage of students involved in disciplinary cases is generally low Currently, every school is required to report the number of students involved in disciplinary cases each year. These cases range from minor issues like tardiness, to serious ones such as criminal activity. Based on this data, only a very small percentage of students, 2%, posed discipline problems for their schools.
Combined, these three data points suggest that schools are providing for the holistic development of students at a level that is, at least, satisfactory. As with all things, however, there is always room for improvement. Accordingly, the JNJK inspectors pointed to the need for schools to balance the students’ academic and non-academic experiences. The recommendation was for schools to closely monitor students’ holistic development and provide students with the appropriate support as required (for example, counselling services and a sufficiently broad range of co-curricular activities to address different student interests).
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EQUITy IN EDUCATION
As with most countries, there are significant variations in outcomes in Malaysia across states, districts, schools, socio-economic class, and gender. Some of these achievement gaps have narrowed over time, which is a major step forward towards ensuring that every school is a good school. Nonetheless, socio-economic class remains the largest driver of student outcomes in Malaysia. Although this is a common problem in many countries around the world, it is of the utmost importance that the education system seeks to combat the fact that a child’s academic performance is often largely dependent on family income.
Since independence, equity has been a goal of the Malaysian education system. The World Bank Report (2011) acknowledges that Malaysia is relatively successful in pursuing its ambitions: “For primary schools, we found a statistically significant relationship between public expenditure and district-level SES (soci0-economic status); the analysis suggests that public expenditure is progressive.” Gaps in outcomes remain, however, and when these gaps are associated with non-academic factors they are always a source of concern, however small or large they might be. This section examines each of the present sources of inequity in turn: between and within states, between rural and urban schools, by student’s socio-economic background, school type and gender, and between public and private schools. The data gathered indicates that overall, gaps still remain in each of these categories, with the greatest gap being caused by differences in students’ socio-economic status.
EXHIBIT 3-22
Comparison of performance across states for UPSR and SPM 2011
Average percent GPS for 2011 UPSR SPM W.P. Putrajaya
81.3 72.8 71.3 70.8 70.8 70.5 70.3 70.0 69.8 69.5 67.8 66.5 65.3 63.5 60.8
-33%
58.0 44.8 45.3 46.4 45.4 44.4 48.0 46.0 46.4 46.2 42.2 41.3 39.3 48.6 40.1 38.8
-33%
Kelantan Terengganu N. Sembilan Melaka Johor W.P. Kuala Lumpur Pahang P. Pinang Selangor Perak Kedah Perlis W.P. Labuan Sarawak
54.3
Sabah
SOURCE: Examination Syndicate
Achievement gaps exist between and within states across Malaysia
Not all states perform as well as each other. A number of states have shown distinct improvements during the past few years, while others have fared less well. In 2011, there was an almost 20-percentage-point difference in the UPSR grade point averages between the betterperforming larger states such as Johor, and the lowest-performing state, Sabah (Exhibit 3-22). 16 out of 20 of the lowest-performing districts in UPSR examinations, and 10 out of 20 in SPM, are in Sabah and Sarawak. There is also a high degree of variance within states, although some states have demonstrated that closing the achievement gap between school districts is indeed possible. While facing many of the same constraints as other states, such states have performed much better and have thereby effectively reduced inequity. Johor, for example (Exhibit 3-23), does a much better job than many other states in reducing the variation in performance between schools at the primary school level for UPSR (refer to Chapter 4 for a case study of how Johor has managed to achieve this result). Other states like Kelantan, Penang, Sabah, and Sarawak, however, appear to struggle, exhibiting a wide spectrum of performance across school districts within these states. Digging deeper into the next level of performance—schools—it becomes apparent that Malaysian schools are spread across the performance spectrum. This wide range in school outcomes is noted in the NKRA school bands, which draw upon both grade point averages for national examinations and school self-assessments. In 2011, 21% of primary schools were in Bands 1 and 2 versus 3% in Bands 6 and 7, while 11% of secondary schools were in Bands 1 and 2 versus 8% in Bands 6 and 7.
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Chapter 3 Current Performance
3-18
EXHIBIT 3-23
Comparison of within-state performance for UPSR and SPM 2011 maximum average minimum
District level percent GPS scores by state (2011) 90 80 UPSR 70 60 50 0 60 55 50 SPM 45 40 35 0 State WP Putrajaya Sarawak 1 Negeri Sembilan WP Kuala Lumpur Terengganu WP Labuan Selangor Kelantan
Sabah 1
Pahang
Penang
Melaka
Kedah
Perak
Perlis
1 Individual districts in Sabah and Sarawak grouped into clusters of districts for the purpose of this analysis SOURCE: Examination Syndicate
Johor
3-19
EXHIBIT 3-24
Comparison of rural and urban school gap over time
2011 % gap 2011 % gap
EXHIBIT 3-25
Comparison of National and National-type UPSR scores from 2005 to 2011
SK SJKC
SJKT
UPSR scores Percent GPS (2005-2011)
SPM scores Percent GPS (2004-2011)
UPSR scores of primary schools Percent GPS
2005 gap
2011 gap
70
Urban 3.8 Rural
50
Urban
70 68
8.0
-2.5 11.7
0.3 3.5
65
45
66 64 62 60 58 56 54 52 50 2005
06 07 08 09 10 2011
60
40
Rural
55
35
50 2005 06
07
08
09
10 2011
30 2004 05 06 07 08 09 10 2011
NOTE: Urban schools are taken to be schools classified as “Bandaraya”, “Bandar” and “Bandar Kecil.” Rural schools are schools classified as “Luar Bandar.” SOURCE: Examination Syndicate
1 Gaps are calculated as the difference in percentage points between SK scores less SJK(C) or SJK(T) scores SOURCE: Examination Syndicate
Achievement gap between rural and urban schools is narrowing over time
The Ministry and the general public have long focused attention on inequity in educational outcomes between students attending school in urban communities versus those in rural communities. States with a higher proportion of rural schools, like Sabah and Sarawak, on average, underperform states with fewer rural schools. However, Malaysia has made clear progress in this area: the gap between rural and urban schools has been gradually closing over time (Exhibit 3-24). In the UPSR examinations, the gap today between urban and rural students is almost 4 percentage points in favour of urban schools. At the SPM level, the gap appears to have widened to 8 percentage points. This widening gap could be driven by two factors. The first is that failure is cumulative. A child who fails at UPSR is unlikely to be able to succeed at SPM. Early intervention is thus critical. The second is that there was no actual widening. Instead, the 2006 UPSR cohort maintained their urban-rural gap of 8 percentage points through to SPM in 2011.
Achievement gaps between National and National-type schools are narrowing over time
Student outcomes by school type also warrant consideration. The story here is a positive one overall, as the gaps are consistently narrowing. At the primary level, SJK(T)s still lag behind both SJK(C)s and SKs by approximately 4 percentage points in 2011 (Exhibit 3-25). However, this gap has been almost halved during the past five years. The difference in performance between SK and SJK(C) is negligible at 0.3 percentage points in 2011.
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Chapter 3 Current Performance
3-20
EXHIBIT 3-26
Examination results, dropout rates and tertiary enrolment rates by gender
Achievement gap is large and growing Female and male percent GPS gap Higher dropout rate amongst male students Male to female student ratio 20111 Lower tertiary enrolment of male students Percent enrolment2 (2011) (n = ‘000) Male Female n = 1,146 n = 96 n = 1,050
EXHIBIT 3-27
Distribution of student population receiving KWAPM by school band in 2011
Distribution of student population receiving KWAPM1 Percent of schools (2011) 100% = 2,296 3,858 42
31 75 56 17 25 18
11
PMR UPSR SPM
1.1 1.06 1.06
Schools with 2/3 students receiving KWAPM
44
10
54
43
1.0 0.95 0.9
9
56
46
57
52
8 2006 07
7
Std 1 Std 6 Form 5 Total Polytechnic and community college University2
19 Average schools, Band 3,4,5 Poor schools, Band 6&7
08 09
10 2011
Good schools, Band 1&2
1 Includes vocational and technical schools 2 Includes IPTA and IPTS SOURCE: Examination Syndicate, Educational Policy, Planning and Research Division, Higher Education Statistics 2011
1 Only primary schools were included, with the exception of 1,060 schools in Sabah and 418 schools in other states due to incomplete data SOURCE: Finance Division; National Key Result Area; EMIS database
The “lost Boys” issue: the gender gap is widening
The gender gap is both significant and increasing (Exhibit 3-26). Girls consistently outperform boys. The difference in performance is already evident at UPSR level and increases over the course of a student’s academic career. Further, boys are more likely to drop out, leading to a situation wherein the male to female ratio for any given cohort decreases from Year 1 to Form 5. At university level, female students comprise up to 70% of the latest incoming cohort in some universities. This gap between the genders has widened at the PMR and SPM level over the last five years, a trend that if unchecked, runs the risk of creating a community of educationally marginalised young Malaysian men. Fortunately, the trend has reversed in 2011 for UPSR results, with the performance gap falling from about 11 to 10 percentage points. Interviews with parents, teachers, and principals suggest that some boys struggle with the mainstream academic curriculum and would probably benefit from greater access to vocational training or more applied coursework. However, the limited number of places in vocational and technical schools prevents this from occurring. This problem is compounded by the fact that boys from poor families are also more likely to drop out from school to start work early in order to help support their families. The higher rate of dropouts and lower academic performance among boys is a cause for concern for the Ministry. Alienated youth are a source of great social and political instability, as has been seen across the world in the recent past. It is imperative that Malaysia find a way to engage boys in education to ensure that they become a valuable source of human capital.
Socio-economic status continues to have a large impact on student performance
The Ministry has long been aware that socio-economic differences present a major challenge to achieving equitable outcomes. Educational disadvantage, whereby how much students’ parents earn and where they go to school correlates with student achievement, is a phenomenon experienced by many education systems around the world. In order to overcome this, the Ministry has committed itself to eliminating this inequity through a wide variety of initiatives, including the provision of financial assistance to disadvantaged students. There are a number of dimensions used to measure the correlation between a student’s socio-economic background and student outcomes. Some of these are: parents’ highest level of educational attainment, state average household income, and the percentage of students receiving basic financial assistance. The percentage of students receiving KWAPM financial aid (a fund for disadvantaged students) has been used as a proxy for socio-economic status, due to the eligibility criteria of coming from a low-income household. The evidence consistently demonstrates that students from poor families are less likely to perform as well as students from middle-income or high-income households. Schools with higher concentrations of lowincome students were more likely to fall in Band 6 or 7 on the NKRA scale (Exhibit 3-27). Similarly, more than three-quarters of all highperforming schools have less than a third of their students on financial aid. It appears that the largest achievement gaps in Malaysia are still those driven by socio-economic status, despite the government’s significant investments thus far.
3-21
Indeed, it is likely that socio-economic factors, in terms of the composition of the student body, contribute to many of the other achievement gaps discussed previously—especially in terms of location and school type (but not gender). That being said, the impact of socio-economic status on student outcomes is less significant in Malaysia than in other systems around the world. For example, only 10% of the Malaysian variance between schools in the PISA 2009+ assessment can be explained by socio-economic factors, as compared to the OECD average of 55%, which indicates a far larger gap in most other countries. This is good news for Malaysia, as it shows that our education system is on its way to being truly equitable.
BUIlDING UNITy THROUGH EDUCATION
Malaysia’s unique diversity—ethnic, religious, and cultural —has always been its greatest strength, and its greatest challenge. As Malaysia increasingly finds itself in a world where differences can divide, it has never been more important for Malaysians to forge a Malaysian identity and to embrace our diverse heritage. As a shared space for all Malaysians, schools have a unique potential to be a place to foster unity. The challenge is that to date, the system has struggled to measure unity in a systematic manner. The best available data suggests that student and teacher diversity in National schools has decreased, although there is still a fair degree of interactivity across ethnicities inside and outside the classroom.
Unity, a vital component in Malaysia’s truly unique social context, is a key factor in realising a society of balanced and harmonious individuals as envisioned in the National Education Philosophy. To that end, the Ministry has taken a range of actions, from ensuring that all ethnicities are fairly represented in the teaching materials used in schools, to organising school-based programmes explicitly focused on building unity. The critical question, however, is how unity can be measured. This section considers several possible measures to paint a picture of where the system stands. Student enrolment in the overall public education system remains broadly reflective of national demographics. However, there are specific schooling options that have homogenous environments (Exhibit 3-28). For example, primary school students across all options are in highly homogeneous environments. The challenge is that these homogeneous environments make it less likely for students to receive exposure to students of different cultures and ethnic groups, and thus less likely to develop the respect for diversity critical for unity. However, there is some convergence in secondary school. Most students from the various primary schools enrol in a single secondary school format—the SMK. Nevertheless, some students still receive limited exposure to diversity—for example, a child who transfers from a SJK(C) to an independent Chinese school or that moves from an SK to a National religious secondary school or Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA). In addition, there is a small but growing minority of students that leave the public education system and enrol in private schools, and therefore move beyond the Ministry’s sphere of influence.
Gap in student performance persists between private and public schools
Private schools using the national curriculum present yet another gap in equity as they score about 6% higher than public schools at SPM. While some of this achievement gap may be due to a better learning environment, it is probable that much of it is due to the self-selecting nature of these schools, which skews them towards a student population that is more economically advantaged. Although enrolment in private schools using the national curriculum currently accounts for only 1% of total student numbers, enrolment is increasing as average household income levels rise.
Range of schooling options creating ethnically homogeneous environments
It is important that the nation’s diversity is reflected in our schools, so as to give Malaysian children the opportunity to live with and learn from fellow Malaysians of every ethnicity, religion, and culture. Accordingly, one data point considered as a gauge of unity at school level is enrolment trends in SKs, SJK(C)s, and SJK(T)s.
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Chapter 3 Current Performance
3-22
EXHIBIT 3-28
Enrolment rates in different school types
As of 30 June 2011 National Education System
% of secondary school students % of primary school students
Private Education System
SECONDARY1
National2 National [SMK] (SMK)
Govtaided religious [SABK]
Special education
Chinese Independent
Religious
Int’l
Nat’l curriculum
Special Ed.
88%
4%
3%
3%
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