Spreading warmth: Fadhlina (second from left) distributing bubur lambuk to pupils at the entrance of Sekolah Bimbingan Jalinan Kasih in Kuala Lumpur before the briefing. Looking on is her deputy Wong Kah Woh (fourth from left). — ART CHEN/The Star
MALAYSIA’S youth, especially those from B40 and underserved communities, stand to benefit once secondary school education is made compulsory.
Education Ministry director-general Datuk Azman Adnan said the Education (Amendment) Bill 2025, once passed, will help secure their future and that of the nation.
Without completing secondary school, opportunities to further their studies and expand their career options will be “greatly limited”, he noted.
“When students do not continue their secondary education, they will not sit for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination. They will not have the SPM certificate or other similar qualifications.
“So, this will limit their future job opportunities,” he said, citing the public services scheme, which requires at least an SPM qualification, as an example.
Azman was speaking at a special briefing on the Bill on March 19.
Keeping children in school, he added, shields them from getting involved in social ills.
Azman Adnan
“And at a macro level, we will be able to mould human capital that is knowledgeable, skilled, competitive and innovative,” said Azman.
The Bill, he explained, was specifically drafted to create an organised education legislation for the implementation of compulsory education at the secondary level, which is an extension of the existing compulsory primary schooling legislation.
The new law, he said, is also a way to tackle school dropouts and child marriages, as girls will need to complete their education until the age of 17.
Dropout rates are expected to decrease as more students transition from Year Six to Form One and from Form Three to Form Four, he added.
When primary school was made mandatory in 2003, enrolment increased from 92.9% that year to 96.78% in 2007 – above Unesco’s universal enrolment rate of 95%, he noted.
As of last year, the primary school enrolment rate stood at 99.39%, compared to the 94.86% secondary school enrolment rate, which was slightly below the universal enrolment rate.
“I believe secondary school enrolment will follow a similar upward trajectory as primary school enrolment once it is made compulsory,” said Azman.
Assistance available
The government has introduced 18 financial aid programmes to support families facing economic challenges in sending their children to school, said Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, who was also present at the briefing.
These include the Early School Assistance of RM150 for every student, the Supplementary Food Programme (RMT), the Federal Scholarship and free textbooks.
“Education in government schools is already free. Financial assistance is provided to support additional costs such as books, meals and uniforms,” she said, adding that children living in rural areas will have the opportunity to enrol in Comprehensive Special Model Schools Nine (K9) and Comprehensive Special Model School 11 (K11), where they will complete all their schooling years at the same location, as these schools are built on the same grounds.
Fadhlina said the number of these schools is being increased, allowing more students to attend school without needing to travel far.
This, in addition to fully residential schools, she said, will eliminate geographical and transportation barriers that hinder school access.
As for children who need to work to support their families, Fadhlina said they would still be allowed to work, but not at the expense of their education.
Describing the Bill as “very critical and significant” in ensuring the highest quality of the education system, she said feedback from stakeholders has been favourable.
“We have had multiple engagement sessions with those on the ground, and the response has been positive.
“People want secondary school education to be compulsory because it is a way to democratise education, ensuring that all Malaysian children receive fair, equal and quality education,” she concluded.
The crucial amendments to Sections 2 and 29(A) and the addition of Section 32(A) to the Education Act 1996 (Act 550) will expand compulsory formal education to include secondary school.
Efforts to amend the Act began on Jan 1, 2023, with preliminary Cabinet approval granted last year for the Bill.
The amendments, said Education Ministry director-general Datuk Azman Adnan, are set to be tabled when the Dewan Rakyat reconvenes in June.
He said the initiative to make secondary school education compulsory for Malaysian children is also outlined in the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 (Shift 1).
“Currently, compulsory education only extends to primary school. This is an opportunity to expand mandatory schooling to the secondary level,” he said.
Azman said the Bill reflects the Madani government’s commitment to ihsan principles (rukun ihsan) and education reform.
Making secondary school compulsory is also commonly seen in advanced countries, such as Canada (10 years), Finland (11 years), the United Kingdom (11 years) and Germany (13 years), he added.
Once the Bill is passed, students – including those undergoing vocational and religious education – must be registered at national, government-aided or private educational institutions under the ministry, or institutions established under federal or state government acts and enactments.
Although parents or guardians could face fines of up to RM5,000, imprisonment of up to six months, or both, if they fail to send their children for secondary schooling, Azman stressed that legal action would be a last resort.
Instead, he said the ministry, schools and teachers would first adopt gentler approaches to ensure compliance before considering punitive measures.
All these efforts, he added, aim to raise awareness of the importance of completing secondary education and obtaining the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) certificate.
Current initiatives include advocacy and intervention efforts, such as home visits (ziarah cakna) by the ministry, teachers and community members to find out the reason a child is not attending school.
Azman, however, noted that exemptions from compulsory education may be granted under special circumstances at the ministry’s discretion, such as critical illnesses that prevent a child from studying.
