Muhyiddin: Malaysian students surprisingly below par

SHAH ALAM: Malaysian students are surprisingly not on par with their foreign counterparts, despite the nation having one of the biggest budget allocations for education worldwide, said Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

"What has become an issue for us is why  our students' performance still isn't as good as those in developed nations, despite huge funds pumped into the education sector," said the Education Minister.

Muhyiddin, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, said that 21% of the 2015 Budget was invested in the education sector, from pre-school up to university level.

He added the amount allocated was the same or even more than some foreign countries, including developed countries such as the United States.

He added that it was no secret that Malaysian students were at the bottom third of international examinations such as Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).

Admitting that he was shocked at the findings, he said he had to accept the facts.

"Let us acknowledge that we have to accept this as a fact," said Muhyiddin, adding that a solution could be found to have students who are on par with others in developed countries.