THE Ministry of Education (MOE) has introduced a new preschool curriculum for the current school session, placing a strong emphasis on six core learning domains aimed at supporting the holistic development of young children, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said.
Speaking in a Facebook post today, Fadhlina outlined the six focus areas as socio-emotional development, physical development and personal wellbeing, language and literacy, spirituality, values and citizenship, creativity and aesthetics, and cognitive development.
“The socio-emotional domain emphasises nurturing children’s ability to recognise and manage their emotions, as well as build positive relationships with others and their surroundings,” she said.
Addressing the physical development and personal wellbeing domain, Fadhlina explained that the curriculum prioritises health awareness, including proper nutrition, hygiene, and safety, with reproductive and social health education (PEERS) also incorporated.
“For physical development and personal wellbeing, the focus is on health awareness, including healthy nutrition, hygiene and safety. Reproductive and social health education (PEERS) is also incorporated,” she added.
The language and literacy component is designed to strengthen children’s communication skills, introducing them to basic literacy and language abilities while fostering an early love of reading.
Fadhlina further detailed the spirituality, values and citizenship domain, which is structured around three components: Islamic education, moral education, and citizenship education.
“In Islamic education, Muslim children will be taught basic religious knowledge, values and practices in daily life, including the fundamentals of Jawi writing,” she said.
Moral education, she said, seeks to instil core values such as compassion, honesty, respect, and diligence through engaging and playful methods that encourage positive behaviour.
Citizenship education, meanwhile, aims to cultivate awareness of rights and responsibilities, foster patriotism, and encourage children to contribute meaningfully to the well-being of their families and communities.
In the creativity and aesthetics domain, children are given the opportunity to explore and appreciate their surroundings, develop imagination, and engage with visual arts, music, movement, and drama.
“The cognitive domain encourages curiosity and exploration, with children guided to think systematically, interact, share information and solve problems,” Fadhlina added.
The Education Minister expressed her hope that the new curriculum would help produce well-rounded, balanced, and globally competitive learners from an early age, equipping them with the skills, values, and confidence to thrive in the future. - January 5, 2025
