SUBANG JAYA: Preschool education could become compulsory under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), with the government working towards implementing the move, says Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek.
She said achieving this will require expanding access to preschool education while engaging parents on the importance of early learning.
“That is why we are currently working hard to help them (parents) understand how important early education is – starting from early childhood education, to preschool and then progressing through the subsequent stages of learning,” she said when launching the Early Childhood Education Programme at Sunway University yesterday.
Fadhlina also highlighted the importance of early screening and intervention, urging parents not to let denial delay the support their children may need.
Sharing her personal experience, she said she had been in denial for nine years before coming to terms with the fact that her child had mild autism.
“I regret losing those nine years, and I do not want even a single other parent to go through that loss by delaying intervention,” she said.
Fadhlina also stressed that early intervention is a shared responsibility, calling on fathers to play a more active role in supporting their children.
Also present were Sunway Education Group chief executive officer Prof Datuk Dr Elizabeth Lee and Sunway University School of Education dean Prof Dr Malissa Maria Mahmud.
Prof Lee said investing in young children, particularly during their formative years, is an investment in the country’s future.
She said research showed that more than 80% of brain development takes place before the age of five.
“What happens in early childhood does not simply influence future outcomes. It often determines them,” she added.
She also stressed the need to ensure that every child, regardless of their circumstances, has the opportunity to learn, belong and succeed.
Prof Malissa Maria said early childhood education is not simply about preparing children for school.
“It is about understanding how children learn, develop and experience the world, and creating environments where every child feels supported, included and able to participate meaningfully.
“This becomes even more important as educators work with children with increasingly diverse developmental and learning needs.
“When we invest in educators, we are also investing in the quality of the experiences children receive during some of the most formative years of their lives,” she added.
The event also saw the introduction of three new programmes at the university – the Diploma in Early Childhood Education (Conventional), Diploma in Early Childhood Education (Open and Distance Learning) and the Bachelor in Early Childhood Education with Special Needs (Honours).
The two-year diploma programmes are designed to give students a strong foundation in areas including child development, play-based pedagogy, curriculum design and inclusive practices for children with special needs.
The bachelor’s programme combines early childhood pedagogy with a focus on inclusive and special needs education.
