Students can wear sports attire for 2024/25 school session, says Fadhlina

Photo: IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star

PUTRAJAYA: School students will no longer be required to wear school uniforms throughout the week.

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said from March (the 2024/2025 academic year), students only need to wear them for two days per week.

“The school attire from the 2024/2025 academic year will be as follows - two days of school uniform, two days of sportswear and one day of co-curriculum attire,” she said during her New Year address to the Education Ministry staff on Friday (Jan 19).

She said this follows the ministry’s previous announcement that students and teachers could wear their sports attire due to the hot weather.

More details will be provided in the announcement letter that will be given to schools, she added.

She also said the decision was made after consulting with stakeholders including parents, teachers and the community.

“Their views were very significant in our decision to continue the usage of school uniforms,” she added.

Regarding the Dual Language Programme (DLP), Fadhlina reiterated that there are guidelines that must be followed.

“For me, this issue does not crop up anymore,” she said, adding that the ministry is firm in its stand on the matter.

On Jan 15, parents had sent a memorandum to 31 Cabinet ministers in hopes they would discuss the ongoing issue surrounding the programme at the recent Cabinet retreat, which sees schools conducting the programme to have at least one non-DLP class.

The programme was one of the initiatives under the Upholding the Malay Language and Strengthening the English Language (better known by its Malay abbreviation, MBMMBI) policy.

It was introduced to improve the English proficiency of students through the teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics subjects, as well as to increase students' ability to compete globally and employability.