Welcoming the move to introduce preschool education from the age of five and voluntary entry into Year 1 at the age of six, Rodiyah Sapiee (GPS-Batang Sadong) said the policy’s implementation should be aligned with the availability of basic education facilities, especially in rural areas.

“There are still dilapidated preschools, a shortage of child-friendly classrooms and trained teachers, as well as issues related to teacher placement in remote areas. This policy cannot be implemented using a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach,” she said during the debate on the royal address in the Dewan Rakyat.

Vivian Wong (PH-Sandakan) raised similar concerns, citing Sandakan, Sabah, as an example of the need for better education infrastructure.

“In Sandakan, dilapidated schools still exist, education infrastructure remains underdeveloped and students drop out due to weak basic facilities. We need sufficient schools and classrooms and more… time is critical for the government to take action so that students and teachers can have proper teaching and learning sessions,” she said.

Radzi Jidin (PN-Putrajaya) said based on 2021 birth data, it was estimated that approximately 440,000 children would reach the age of six by 2027.

“If the average class size is 35 pupils, then more than 12,500 classrooms will be required, which will certainly be very challenging for the education ministry to provide within 11 months,” he said.

Meanwhile, Shafie Apdal (Warisan-Semporna) touched on the need to strengthen the education system in Sabah by aligning technical training, learning content and industry needs to enhance the employability of youths.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told the Dewan Rakyat that although there had been calls to postpone entry into Year 1 at the age of six due to various concerns, Malaysia could not afford to lag behind in the global education landscape, with 137 countries having already implemented it.

Anwar, who is also the finance minister, said an additional RM800 million would be allocated in this year’s budget to meet urgent needs, including the recruitment of 18,000 new teachers.