THE Education Ministry will introduce two-session schooling to address overcrowding in urban schools, with the measure set to take effect next year and focused mainly on preschool and Year One pupils.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the approach was necessary to ensure that all students continue to receive quality education despite uneven student distribution between urban and rural areas.
“Indeed, there are schools in urban areas with high student density, while many schools in rural and interior areas have fewer students. That is a reality.
“For schools considered overcrowded, the Education Ministry, especially at the level of young children in newly enrolled Year One and preschool, can implement two sessions temporarily.
“Ideally, we would like to have single-session schooling, but what matters most is quality education. I agree that we should take immediate steps,” he said during Minister’s Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday.
Anwar was responding to a question from Lee Chuan How (PH–Ipoh Timor) on the readiness of schools facing high enrolment to accommodate an increase in Year One and preschool pupils following the option for children to begin schooling at the ages of five and six.
The Prime Minister, who is also Finance Minister, said the government had allocated an additional RM800 million to meet the needs arising from the implementation of six-year-old pupils entering Year One.
“If there is a need to increase the allocation, sufficient funding has already been provided this year to add new classrooms and additional facilities,” he said. - January 27, 2026
