THE Ministry of Education (MOE) is undertaking a comprehensive study on proposals to reintroduce the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Pentaksiran Tingkatan Tiga (PT3) this year, with Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek urging the public to give the ministry time to complete its assessment before any decision is made.
Fadhlina said preliminary reports are currently being compiled and will be taken through the necessary stages before being presented to the Cabinet for consideration.
“Please give us some time because, as I have said, we are currently studying the matter and I have already entrusted this mandate to the National Education Advisory Council (MPPK).
“At the ministry level, we already have some preliminary views known as early positions, and we will conduct a comprehensive study before tabling it to the Cabinet for further consideration. So please give us time,” she said.
She was speaking at a press conference after visiting Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina Ladang Regent in Elmina, Selangot on Monday, on the first day of the 2026/2027 academic session.
Also present was Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh.
The review follows continued appeals from parents for the return of the two national examinations. Fadhlina said the reassessment was important to ensure that any form of student assessment meets current needs while aligning with parents’ expectations.
“These assessments have been implemented for a long time. They have had an impact because they focus on holistic assessment.
“What we want to examine is based on the views received, meaning parents’ requests, and we want to reassess them against what we are currently implementing,” she said.
She stressed that any changes to the assessment system would be made in an orderly manner and grounded in research findings.
“That is why I said earlier, please give us some time and we will provide an explanation to the public after the study is completed and presented to the Cabinet,” she said, adding that she expected the review to be completed within the year.
“I expect it to be completed this year. We will carry out the study this year and present it as soon as possible,” she added.
UPSR was abolished in 2021, followed by PT3 in 2022, as the ministry shifted its focus to holistic evaluation through School-Based Assessment.
At the same event, Fadhlina announced that the ministry would introduce a Child Protection Policy to address bullying and safeguard students’ welfare. She said the policy would be signed by all stakeholders at school level in the near future.
“This has always been our commitment and I have already emphasised it in my New Year address.
“In the context of this year, all parties will sign this policy, involving all stakeholders, with a pledge to care for, safeguard and protect our children.
“Parents, don’t forget to sign,” she said.
She said the policy was among key reforms being rolled out this year, alongside the Sekolah Sejahtera and Sekolah Selamat manuals, which are in their final stages of preparation.
“This is among the new initiatives we are introducing. The Sekolah Sejahtera and Sekolah Selamat manuals are also in their final stages, to be shared with parents and the wider community on our shared responsibility to protect our children. God willing,” she said.
Fadhlina also announced that the new Education Blueprint and Higher Education Blueprint would be launched on Jan 20 by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Both documents will replace the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2012–2025 and the Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint 2013–2025, which concluded last year.
Commenting on the start of the 2026 school year, she said more than 400,000 children nationwide began their primary education journey, while 423,646 students entered Form One as the new academic calendar commenced.
She added that early schooling aid had been distributed in cash to parents on the first day of school, encouraging them to use the opportunity to engage with teachers and visit their children’s schools.
“We hope it can be utilised because this is the government's commitment to ensure that all parents and all children, regardless of their age, benefit from public assistance at school today,” she said.
Fadhlina also reiterated that the ministry was taking into account parents’ views not only on the abolition of UPSR and PT3, but also on performance levels under Classroom-Based Assessment.
“The review will be held this year, and we will announce the results as soon as possible,” she said.
In a lighter moment, Fadhlina shared on Facebook that her youngest daughter had begun her duties as a school prefect.
“She already has a big mandate. A position that she considers a trust that must be carried out with all seriousness.
“That's it, eight million times ‘mummy’ had to hear her tell us why the responsibility as a small prefect is the same as the trust as education minister because she carries the same mandate, which is the trust of a leader,” she wrote.
Nationwide, more than five million students began the 2026 school year from Sunday. - January 12, 2026
