From Andrew Woon

Malaysia’s decision to allow children to begin preschool at age five and give parents the option of enrolling them in Year 1 at age six or seven marks a significant turning point in the nation’s education landscape.

On paper, this is a progressive and forward-looking reform, aligning Malaysia with countries that have long prioritised early childhood education.

Research consistently shows that the early years are critical for building foundational “3M” skills – membaca (reading), menulis (writing), and mengira (counting) – which strongly influence how well children cope once formal schooling begins.

One clear advantage of earlier preschool entry is the opportunity for early detection and intervention.

Many learning delays, behavioural challenges or even nutritional issues often go unnoticed by parents, not out of neglect but lack of training.

Preschool teachers, however, are equipped to spot such concerns early, allowing the provision of support before a child reaches Year 1 already struggling to keep up.

Internationally, Malaysia’s move is hardly radical.

Many developed education systems introduce structured early childhood education at age five or earlier.

Aligning with these practices supports educational modernisation and facilitates smoother academic exchange and comparability between Malaysian students and their peers abroad.

However, good policy design does not guarantee good outcomes.

As with many education reforms, success will ultimately depend on execution.

The proposed timeline for full implementation is relatively short for a transformation of this scale, and the immediate challenges are logistical, financial and systemic.

First, early childhood education must be treated as a long-term investment rather than a short-term expense.

This requires increased public spending that moves closer to international benchmarks, with particular attention to rural and underserved communities.

Without deliberate redistribution, the reform risks widening, not narrowing, existing educational disparities.

Second, there is a major infrastructure gap. Where will this new cohort of five-year-olds learn?

Can current facilities accommodate the increased number of students, and do they provide age-appropriate classrooms equipped with safe amenities and play-based learning spaces?

Most critically, the reform hinges on human capital.

Malaysia currently faces a shortage of trained early childhood educators, and the pipeline to produce them is insufficient.

Therefore, a rapid but credible programme of recruitment, professional training, and certification is non-negotiable.

Competitive salaries and clear career pathways will also be essential to attract and retain quality educators.

Without well-trained teachers, the reform will collapse at its foundation.

Beyond logistics, success also requires a cultural and pedagogical shift.

The curriculum for five-year-olds cannot simply be a watered-down version of the academic syllabus.

It must instead be a truly play-based framework, developed by early childhood experts and grounded in developmental science.

Equally challenging will be shifting parental mindsets, as many families still equate earlier schooling with faster academic achievement, a misconception that could undermine the developmental goals of early education.

Worse still, some parents may assume that earlier schooling frees them from responsibility, when in reality they continue to play a pivotal role in their children’s learning and overall well-being.

Finally, none of this can succeed without transparent and sustained funding.

Building facilities, training teachers and developing new curricula will require billions of ringgit.

This, in turn, demands consistent policy direction and long-term governmental commitment.

Without stable financial support and continuity across administrations, the reform risks stalling midway, leaving children, teachers and schools to bear the consequences of an unfinished transition.

In conclusion, this educational reform cannot be the education ministry’s burden alone.

It must become a national endeavour, engaging educators, parents, communities and the private sector.

If implemented with care, adequate resources and sustained commitment, this reform could reshape a generation’s future.

If rushed or under-resourced, it risks becoming yet another well-intentioned but failed experiment.

Andrew Woon is a senior lecturer at Monash University Malaysia’s School of Business.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.