ALOR STAR – The Education Ministry (MoE) aims to increase preschool enrolment to 90% from the current 80% as a preliminary measure to prevent school dropouts.
Its minister, Fadhlina Sidek, said in order to achieve that target, MoE will open more preschools and run an advocacy campaign to encourage parents to send their children to preschools.
“Preschool enrolment is currently at 80%, while secondary school enrolment is around 78%, which is quite low compared to enrolment in primary schools, which is made compulsory, at 98%.
“So we have two segments of students whose enrollment we need to focus on, namely preschool and secondary school,” she told reporters after attending the Sesi Motivasi bersama Cikgu Menteri programme here last night.
In addition to the lack of preschool classes, which is being addressed at the ministry level, Fadhlina cited poverty as a contributing factor to the low primary preschool enrollment rate.
Asked if the MoE intends to make preschool education compulsory like primary education, Fadhlina said that the ministry must first resolve preschool-related issues.
On secondary school dropout, she said a bill to make secondary education compulsory for students that will be tabled in Parliament will ensure that students complete their schooling up to Form 5. – Bernama, June 17, 2023
