PETALING JAYA: The success of the National Education Plan 2026-2035 will depend on teacher readiness and school capacity, according to education stakeholders.
Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said it was encouraging that the plan acknowledged the importance of technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and global competitiveness in shaping future-ready students.
However, she cautioned that past education blueprints had often fallen short at the implementation stage.
“Teacher readiness and school capacity may not match the ambition of AI-driven and tech-heavy reforms yet,” Azimah said.
She added that parents did not need another inspiring blueprint but credible delivery.
“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 (NUTP) secretary-general Fouzi Singon said although the blueprint focused on teacher well-being, its success would depend on whether teachers were adequately supported.
Fouzi also stressed that clearer guidelines were needed on how school autonomy would be implemented and respected across the system, particularly in relation to oversight and supervision by multiple agencies.
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“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.
He also called for a transparent and structured progress reporting mechanism for the implementation of the blueprint.
“Regular progress reports on a quarterly basis, mid-term reviews, and overall performance throughout the 10-year implementation period are crucial to ensure accountability, timely improvements and meaningful stakeholder engagement,” he added.
Malaysian Association of Private Colleges and Universities president Datuk Parmjit Singh said the association took note of the upcoming reforms for 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 the association supports the reinforced emphasis of Bahasa Malaysia as the national language and language of knowledge, it also welcomed the continued focus on English proficiency to ensure that Malaysian graduates remain competitive in the global arena, science and technology.
