THE effectiveness of the National Education Plan 2026–2035 will ultimately depend on how well teachers and schools are equipped to carry out reforms, according to education groups, which stress that ambition must be matched by credible delivery in classrooms.
Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said it was encouraging that the plan recognised the importance of technology, artificial intelligence and global competitiveness in preparing future-ready students.
However, she cautioned that earlier education blueprints had frequently faltered when it came to execution.
“Teacher readiness and school capacity may not match the ambition of AI-driven and tech-heavy reforms yet,” Azimah said.
She added that parents were no longer looking for aspirational documents but tangible results.
“The real test will be whether reforms show up meaningfully in classrooms, with clear timelines, measurable outcomes, and transparent reporting,” she said.
National Union of the Teaching Profession secretary-general Fouzi Singon said the blueprint’s emphasis on teacher well-being was positive, but its success would depend on whether adequate support was provided in practice.
He also highlighted the need for greater clarity on how school autonomy would be implemented and respected across the education system.
“NUTP calls on all mentoring and supervisory agencies to clearly recognise and respect the policy of school autonomy to avoid overlapping roles and operational conflicts between the inspectorate, state education departments, district education offices and school management,” he said.
Fouzi further called for a transparent and structured mechanism to monitor progress throughout the 10-year implementation period.
“Regular progress reports every quarter, mid-term reviews, and overall performance throughout the 10-year implementation period are crucial to ensure accountability, timely improvements and meaningful stakeholder engagement,” he said.
At the tertiary level, Malaysian Association of Private Colleges and Universities president Datuk Parmjit Singh said the association had taken note of proposed reforms affecting universities, including revamped general studies subjects taught in Bahasa Malaysia to strengthen students’ understanding of the Federal Constitution and national history.
“However, we hope that the institutions are given the freedom to deliver and assess these modules in the manner that would attract the new generations of learners rather than just to make up the credits,” he said.
While supporting the strengthened emphasis on Bahasa Malaysia as the national language and a language of knowledge, Parmjit said the association also welcomed the continued focus on English proficiency to ensure Malaysian graduates remain competitive globally, particularly in science and technology. - January 21, 2026
