KUALA LUMPUR: The “Single Window, Single Offer” system will be implemented for Form 6 and matriculation applications next year, once the two pre-university pathways come under the Higher Education Ministry, says minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir.
Under the Single Window, Single Offer system, students will obtain only one offer for pre-university studies based on their results.
“We have the single window system, but there is no single offer system. This is why students end up with multiple offers, namely for matriculation and universities,” he told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
“With the Single Window, Single Offer system, there will not be two separate evaluation systems to evaluate entries to institutions.”
However, Zambry said the Cumulative Grade Point Average evaluation for both pathways, as well as foundation courses, remain unchanged.
He was responding to a question from Shah Alam MP Azli Yusof, on whether there will be changes to the evaluation criteria of the three pre-university pathways and if there are plans to standardise the curricula of all three courses.
He said a joint committee between the Higher Education and Education Ministries has been established to oversee the transition and optimisation of Form Six and matriculation programmes.
On whether the upcoming intake for matriculation students will be done under the Higher Education Ministry, Zambry said that he is unable to ascertain the timeline.
“There are two phases to this process. The first phase involves planning and preparations which will go on this year.
“The second phase will be implementation and operation of matriculation, which will begin in 2027,” he said.
Zambry said the transfer process will require amendments to the Education Act and Malaysian Examinations Council, among others – a process expected to take around a year.
“We do not expect the implementation to take place this year, but next year,” he said, adding that the committee formed last December will look into relevant aspects including legal, welfare, financial, staffing, system and asset-related matters.
The committee will be assisted by the Public Services Department and the Finance Ministry to ensure the programme transfer can be implemented smoothly.
Zambry said both ministries will hold engagement sessions with stakeholders, including the National Union of the Teaching Profession, which represents Form Six teachers, to obtain feedback.
“In terms of quality assurance for entry into public universities, the Higher Education Ministry will ensure the matriculation programme continues to function as a credible, fair and competitive pathway,” he said.
At a press conference later, he said matriculation and STPM are considered pre-university programmes, and therefore, should not be regarded as part of a university scheme.
As for qualification of teachers, he said a degree is the minimum qualification for lecturers, as per the requirement of his ministry.
“At this stage, there will be no change, as most teachers teaching in matriculation and Form Six already hold degrees.
“Therefore, there is no issue in terms of meeting the necessary qualification requirements,” he said.
