He said the decision followed a review by the ministry.
“We felt that it could be discriminatory, as some children might be deemed ineligible, which could have psychological effects on them.
“Therefore, it was decided that the assessment would not be implemented, and I agreed with this decision,” he said during the Prime Minister’s Question Time.
Anwar was responding to a supplementary question from Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Muda-Muar), who asked whether the diagnostic assessment should be reviewed, noting that children who fail the screening would have to postpone their school enrolment by a year.
The Muar MP also highlighted a Unesco report warning against screening tests that separate slower-learning children from faster-learning peers at an early age.
On Jan 21, the education ministry said that children seeking enrolment in Year 1 at the age of six would be required to undergo a diagnostic screening to determine their readiness for formal schooling.
The ministry in a FAQ infographic said a decision would be made later through a combination of the diagnostic test results and parental choice.
It also said that enrolment was not guaranteed and could not be done arbitrarily.
Difficult for urban schools to have single session
Separately, Anwar said it would be difficult for urban schools, especially crowded ones, to maintain a single school session following the introduction of the voluntary Year 1 enrolment for six-year-olds.
The prime minister said that while a single schooling session was ideal, rising costs would force crowded urban schools to adopt a two-session system.
“I think it is reasonable for us to consider two school sessions for preschool and Year 1,” Anwar said in response to a supplementary question from Aminolhuda Hassan (PH-Sri Gading), who also suggested that afternoon sessions might be unnecessary for preschool and Year 1 students.
Anwar said the government was financially and logistically prepared to implement the new schooling policy, as well as the newly-introduced standardised tests for Year 4 and Form 3 students.
The prime minister said that 10,514 preschool classrooms across 6,469 institutions had been upgraded, including 150 new classrooms added last year and 350 more this year.
Anwar, who is also the finance minister, said an additional RM800 million in funding was being discussed with the finance ministry for the recruitment of 18,000 new teachers.
“For this year’s budget, we will table this additional allocation to meet urgent needs. The education ministry, finance ministry and economy ministry have taken the necessary steps to expedite this,” he said.