executive

E-1

Executive Summary
In October 2011, the Ministry of Education launched acomprehensive review of the education system in Malaysia
in order to develop a new National Education Blueprint. The
decision was made in the context of raising international
education standards, the Government’s aspiration of better
preparing Malaysia’s children for the needs of the 21st century,and increased public and parental expectations of education
policy. Over the course of 15 months (October 2011 to December2012), the Ministry drew on many sources of input, fromeducation experts at UNESCO, World Bank, OECD, and six local
universities, to principals, teachers, parents, students, and othermembers of the public from every state in Malaysia. The result is
a Malaysia Education Blueprint that evaluates the performanceof current Malaysia’s education system with considerations ofhistorical starting points against international benchmarks. The
Blueprint also offers a vision of the education system and student
aspirations that Malaysia both needs and deserves, and suggests
11 strategic and operational shifts that would be required toachieve that vision.

Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025
Executive Summary

Education plays a central role in any country’s pursuit ofeconomic growth and national development. There is no
better predictor of a nation’s future than what is currently
happening in its classrooms. In today’s global economy, anation’s success depends fundamentally on the knowledge,
skills, and competencies of its people. It is no surprise thatnations with higher education levels tend to enjoy greater
economic prosperity. Education is also fundamental tonation building and unity. It provides individuals withthe opportunity to improve their lives, become successful
members of the community, and active contributors tonational development. Through interacting with individuals
from a range of socio-economic, religious, and ethnic
backgrounds—and learning to understand, accept, andembrace differences—a shared set of experiences andaspirations for Malaysia’s future can be built. It is throughthese shared experiences and aspirations that a common
national identity and unity is fostered.
In recent years, the Malaysian education system has comeunder increased public scrutiny and debate, as parents’
expectations rise and employers voice their concern regarding
the system’s ability to adequately prepare young Malaysians
for the challenges of the 21st century. Given the nature of theeducation system, it will take several years for fundamental
changes to be felt. This makes the need for ambitious actions
now both important and urgent.

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officials, teachers, school leaders, parents, students,
Objectives and approach Ministry
and members of the public across Malaysia, were engaged
via interviews, focus groups, surveys, National Dialogueof the review
This Education Blueprint (Blueprint) is the result of extensive
research and public engagement carried out by the Ministryof Education (Ministry). The Blueprint was developed withthree specific objectives:

1. Understanding the current performance andchallenges of the Malaysian education system, with afocus on improving access to education, raising standards(quality), closing achievement gaps (equity), fosteringunity amongst students, and maximising system efficiency;

2. Establishing a clear vision and aspirations forindividual students and the education system as a wholeover the next 13 years; and3. Outlining a comprehensive transformation

programme for the system, including key changes
to the Ministry which will allow it to meet new demands
and rising expectations, and to ignite and support overall
civil service transformation.

The approach to this Blueprint was ground-breaking in many
ways. Multiple perspectives were gathered from various
experts and international agencies to evaluate and assess theperformance of Malaysia’s education system. These included
the World Bank, the United Nations Educational, Scientific,
and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the Organisation
for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), andsix local universities. The Ministry also worked with othergovernment agencies to ensure alignment with other public
policies related to education. For example, the Ministry
has worked closely with the Performance Management andDelivery Unit (PEMANDU) to develop the Government
Transformation Programme (GTP)2.0 initiatives on
education so they reflect the priority reforms in the Blueprint
from 2013 to 2015.
Furthermore, the Ministry engaged with the rakyat on a scale
never seen before. Over the course of a year, over 55,000

townhalls, Open Days and roundtable discussions. More than
200 memorandums were submitted to the Ministry and over3000 articles and blog posts were written on the issues raisedin the Blueprint. The Ministry also appointed a 12-member
Malaysian panel of experts, and a 4-member international
panel of experts to provide independent input into the review
findings.

Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025
Executive Summary

Significant and sustained Dramatic progress on
investments in education improving access to
The support and resources that a system provides to schools
education
play a critical role in how schools perform as they enable
teachers and principals to focus on their core businessof delivering effective teaching and learning. A country’s
investment in its education system is therefore an importantmeasure of its commitment.

The Malaysian Government has sustained high levels
of investment in education over the 55 years since
independence. As early as 1980, the Malaysian federal
government’s spending on primary and secondary education,
as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), was thehighest in East Asia. In 2011, the amount spent, at 3.8% of
GDP or 16% of total government spending, was not only
higher than the OECD average of 3.4% of GDP and 8.7% of
total public spending respectively, but also at par with ormore than top-performing systems like Singapore, Japan, andSouth Korea (Exhibit 1 ). In 2012, with an education budgetof RM36 billion, the Government has continued to devote
the largest proportion of its budget, 16% to the Ministry. This
demonstrates the very real commitment the Government has
to education as a national priority.
EXHIBIT 1
Basic education expenditure1 as a percentage of total government
expenditure for Malaysia and peers2
Percent (2008)

18
16
14

12

12

11

11

9
7

Thailand3 Malaysia3

Mexico

Chile

Hong
Kong3

South
Korea

Singapore3 Indonesia3OECDaverage
8.7%

Japan

1 Includes operating expenditure and capital/development expenditure for basic education (primary and secondary)
2 Peers based on the following categorisation: Asian Tigers (Hong Kong, Singapore, S. Korea, Japan); SEA neighbours (Indonesia,
Thailand, Singapore), and comparable GDP per capita (Mexico and Chile)
3 Data for 2010
Note: Data from 2008 or 2010 depending on latest available data
SOURCE: Ministry of Education Malaysia; OECD – Education at a Glance 2011; Singstat; Ministry of Finance Thailand; Ministry of FinanceIndonesia; Education Bureau of Hong Kong.

The education system has made tremendous progress since1957. At the time of Independence, over half the population
had no formal schooling, while only 6% of Malaysian children
had been educated to secondary level, and a paltry 1% to thepost-secondary level. Five and a half decades later, access to
education has been transformed beyond recognition.
In 2011, Malaysia had achieved near universal enrolment
at the primary level at 94%, and the percentage of students
who dropped out of primary school had been significantly
reduced (from 3% in 1989 to just 0.2% in 2011). Enrolment
rates at the lower secondary level (Form 1 to 3) had risen to87%. The greatest improvement was undoubtedly at upper
secondary level (Form 4 to 5), where enrolment rates had
almost doubled, from 45% in the 1980s, to 78% in 2011.
These enrolment rates are even higher once enrolment inprivate schools is factored in: 96% at primary, 91% at lower
secondary, and 82% at upper secondary level. These rates arehigher than most developing countries, although they are still
lower than that of high-performing education systems like

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Singapore and South Korea. In parallel, there has been rapid
expansion in preschool education. Around 77% of students
are now enrolled in some form of preschool education (either
public or private), and the target is for universal enrolment
through the Education National Key Results Area (NKRA) in
the GTP.

System remains
committed to developing
students holistically

The Malaysian school curriculum is committed to developing
the child holistically along intellectual, spiritual, emotional,
The significant improvement in access to education is echoed and physical dimensions, as reflected in the National
by a similar improvement in attainment. Youth literacy
Education Philosophy. Programmes and initiatives to develop
has risen from 88% in 1980 to near-universal literacy of
non-academic components are present both during formal
99% today, while adult literacy has increased even moreclass time as well as through a variety of after-school codramatically, from less than 70% to over 92% in the same
curricular activities. For example, Islamic Education or Moraltime frame. Further, the proportion of the adult population
Education is compulsory for all students from Year 1 through(aged 15+) with no schooling has declined, from 60% in 1950 to Form 5. The Ministry also has a requirement that every
to less than 10% in 2010, while the proportion (aged 15+) that student participate in at least one sport, one club, and one
has completed secondary education has risen from around 7% uniformed body activity as a means of fostering individualin 1950 to almost 75% over the same time period (Exhibit 2). talents and interests, along with building leadership skills.
These are achievements of which Malaysia can be proud.
Available data suggests that student enrolment in such cocurricular activities is high.
EXHIBIT 2
Highest educational attainment of population aged 15 and above(1950-2010)
Percent of population

Tertiary

6

1

33

60

1950

7

1

35

10

2

38

2
13

41

2

2

19

24

3
31

Secondary

6

8

39

39
51

43

41

1955

50

1960

44

1965

37

1970

SOURCE: Barro and Lee, 2010 (Eurostat, UN)

32

1975

10

56

No Schooling

13

59

15

61

38
33

56

Primary

9

28
1980

21
1985

39

26

22

18

15

15

13

12

10

9

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025
Executive Summary

Student COGNITIVE
performance againstinternational standards
A fundamental objective of any education system is to ensurethat its students are being equipped with the knowledge
and skills required for success in life. Historically, theMalaysian education system, like others around the world,
has emphasised the development of strong content knowledge
in subjects such as Science, Mathematics, and languages.
There is, however, increasing global recognition that it is nolonger enough for a student to leave school with the three Rs(Reading, wRiting & aRithmetic). The emphasis is no longer
just on the importance of knowledge, but also on developing
higher-order thinking skills.

The National Education Philosophy
The National Education Philosophy for Malaysia, written
in 1988 and revised in 1996, enshrines the Ministry’s
and Government’s vision of education as a means forthe holistic development of all children: intellectually,
spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

“Education in Malaysia is an ongoing effort
towards further developing the potential ofindividuals in a holistic and integrated manner, so
as to produce individuals who are intellectually,
spiritually, emotionally, and physicallybalanced and harmonious, based on a firm
belief in and devotion to God. Such an effort isdesigned to produce Malaysian citizens who areknowledgeable and competent, who possess highmoral standards, and who are responsible andcapable of achieving high levels of personal wellbeing as well as being able to contribute to theharmony and betterment of the family, the society,and the nation at large.”

While Malaysian student performance has improved over
several decades, those remarkable gains may be at risk inboth relative and absolute terms. Firstly, other systems are
improving student performance more rapidly, and have foundways to sustain that momentum. The gap between Malaysia’s
system and these others is therefore growing. Secondly,international assessments suggest that Malaysian student
performance is declining in absolute terms.
Over the past two decades, international student assessments,
such as the Programme for International Student Assessment(PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics andScience Study (TIMSS), have emerged as a means of directlycomparing the quality of educational outcomes acrossdifferent systems. These assess a variety of cognitive skills
such as application and reasoning.
When Malaysia first participated in TIMSS in 1999, its
average student score was higher than the international
average in both Mathematics and Science. By 2011, thelast published cycle of results, the system’s performance
had slipped to below the international average in both
Mathematics and Science with a commensurate drop in
ranking. Critically, 35% and 38% of Malaysia’s students failed
to meet the minimum proficiency levels in Mathematics

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and Science in 2011, a two to fourfold up from 7% and 13%
respectively in 1999. These students were identified as
possessing only limited mastery of basic mathematical andscientific concepts.

Excellent examples exist
across the system

While the most recent TIMSS and PISA results are a cause
for concern, there are still numerous instances of students
The results from PISA 2009+ (the first time Malaysia
and schools across Malaysia that are performing on a levelparticipated in this assessment) were also discouraging, withcomparable to international standards, in terms of both
Malaysia ranking in the bottom third of 74 participating
countries, below the international and OECD average (Exhibit academic and non-academic measures. Exhibit 4 offersa snapshot of some of these achievements. The Ministry3). Almost 60% of the 15-year-old Malaysian students who
also has awarded 91 schools with the designation of being aparticipated in PISA failed to meet the minimum proficiency
High Performing School (HPS). These are the best schools
level in Mathematics, while 44% and 43% did not meetin Malaysia that have a distinctive character, consistently
the minimum proficiency levels in Reading and Science
produce excellent academic and non-academic student
respectively. A difference of 38 points on the PISA scale isoutcomes, and are capable of competing internationally.
equivalent to one year of schooling (a comparison of scoresshows that 15-year-olds in Singapore, South Korea, Hong
The system also has examples of schools, districts, and states
Kong and Shanghai are performing as though they havethat are improving at an unprecedented pace. For example,
had three or more years of schooling than 15-year-olds infive years ago, Johor was one of the bottom five states in
Malaysia).
its performance on the Year 6 Primary School Evaluation
Test or Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR)
national examination. The state launched a comprehensive
school improvement programme and was able to turn its
performance around in just five years. Johor is now in the top
third of all states in terms of student performance. Similarly,
there are remote schools, like SK Ulu Lubai and SK Bakalalan
in Sarawak, both of which are in low-income communities,
that have swept Commonwealth Good Practice Awards fortheir impressive turnaround efforts. This suggests that there
are opportunities to learn from these examples, and scale up
good practices to the rest of the system.

Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025
Executive Summary

EXHIBIT 3

Comparison of Malaysia’s PISA 2009+ ranking
against other countries
Regional peers

1 Reading

2 Mathematics

3 Science

Rank

Country

Mean
score

Rank

Country

1
2

Shanghai-China
South Korea

556
539

1
2

Shanghai-China
Singapore

600
562

1
2

Shanghai-China
Finland

575
554

3
4

FinlandHong Kong

536
533

33

Hong Kong
South Korea

555
546

3
4

Hong Kong
Singapore

549

4

5

Singapore526

5

Chinese Taipei

543

5

Japan

539

Hungary494

24

Austria496

20

United States
OECD Average

502

495

21

Republik Czech

500

40

Greece470

26OECD Average

OECD Average

Russian Fed.
International Average

459

41

CroatiaInternational Average

460

43

Chile

449

42

Israel447

52

Thailand421

52

Thailand54

MALAYSIA

61

Indonesia

42

Malta

51

Thailand

422

……

371

425

52 MALAYSIA..
Indonesia

461

..

67

404

41

..

402

…
SOURCE: PISA 2009+

419

…

…

57 MALAYSIA

542

International Average

…

…

414

…

Poland…

25

Portugal

…

497

27

Mean
score

…

Mean
score

…

Country

…

Rank

65

Indonesia

383

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Challenges remain inachieving equitablestudent outcomes

TIMSS and PISA International
Assessments
TIMSS is an international assessment based on
the Mathematics and Science curricula of schools
around the world. It assesses students in Grades
4 (the Malaysian equivalent is Year 4) and 8 (theMalaysian equivalent is Form 2) along two aspects:
content such as algebra and geometry, andcognitive skills, namely the thinking processes ofknowing, applying, and reasoning. The test was
first administered in 1995. Today, over 59 countries
participate in the assessment which is conducted
every four years. Malaysia has participated in TIMSS
since 1999, although only with Form 2 students.
PISA, coordinated by the OECD, is another widely
recognised international assessment. Conducted
every three years, PISA aims to evaluate proficiency
in Reading, Mathematics and Science in students
aged 15 years old. Its focus is not on curriculum
content, but on students’ ability to apply theirknowledge in real-world settings. Participant
countries extend beyond OECD members, with 74
countries taking part in the most recent assessment
in 2009. Malaysia participated for the first time in2010, as part of the 2009 PISA assessment cycle.

An equally important objective for the system is to ensure thatstudent outcomes are equitable. Unfortunately, to date, theoutcomes have been uneven. States with a higher proportionof rural schools, like Sabah and Sarawak, on average, perform
poorer than states with less rural schools. In the UPSR
examinations, the gap between urban and rural schools is 4
percentage points in favour of urban schools. In the Malaysian
Certificate of Education or Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), thegap has grown to 8 percentage points. Both these gaps, however,
have reduced by 5 and 2 percentage points respectively over the
past six years.
The UPSR achievement gap between National and Nationaltype primary schools is also closing. The difference between
National schools or Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) and Nationaltype Chinese schools or Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC)
is insignificant. Over the past five years, National-type Tamilschools or Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil (SJKT) have morethan halved the gap between themselves and both SJKC and SK,
and are now less than 4 percentage points behind.
In contrast, the gender gap is both significant and increasing,having widened over the last five years. Girls consistently
outperform boys at every level; the gap in performance isalready evident at UPSR level and increases over a student’s
lifetime up to university level, where females compriseapproximately 70% of the cohort. While this phenomenon is notunique to Malaysia, it does require attention to ensure that thecountry does not have a cohort of “lost boys” who either leaveschool early or with low attainment levels.

Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025
Executive Summary

EXHIBIT 4

Examples of Malaysian students’ international achievements
Nov
2012

World Robot Olympiad (WRO 2012), Malaysia

Malaysian teams swept 9 medals, making Malaysia theoverall champion for the third time

Jul
2012

8th International Exhibition for Young Inventors, Thailand

The Malaysian team won a Gold medal for their invention

Genius Olympiad 2012 International High School
Project Fair on Environment, New York, USA
2nd International Folk Song and Dance Festival,
Georgia, USA

Jun
2012

The Malaysian team of 16 players won 3 Gold medal,
4 Silver, and 9 Bronze medals

The Invention and New Product Exposition, USA

The Malaysian team won a Gold model in the category ofeducation inventions
The Malaysian team of 200 athletes bagged a total of 100 medals,
claiming the third spot overall

English Speaking Union International Public
Speaking Competition, London, UK

Oct
2011

ASEAN Primary School Sports Olympiad,Indonesia

Jul
2011

52nd International Mathematical Olympiad,
Netherlands
42nd International Physics Olympiad,
ThailandDec
2010

The Malaysian team of 15 performers won the Gold andSilver Diploma prizes

5th Asian Schools Badminton Championship,
Hong Kong

4th ASEAN School Games, Indonesia
May
2012

Two 14-year old students bagged third prize in thecompetition

International Competitions andAssessments for Schools (ICAS)1

A 17-year-old emerged as the first Malaysian champion

The Malaysia team of 36 students clinched second place overall, winning a
total of 6 Gold, 2 Silver and 3 Bronze medals
A Form 4 student clinched the first Gold medal for Malaysia.
Another 4 students attained commendable
results
A Malaysian student attained a Gold medal and special
prize awarded by the European Physics Society
The Malaysian team emerged as champions for 2
consecutive years – 2009 in Pohang, South Korea
and 2010 in Manila, Philippines

1 Australian-based independent diagnostic assessments conducted annually
SOURCE: Sports Division, Co-curricular and Arts Division, Fully Residential and Excellence Schools Management Division

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EXHIBIT 5Distribution of student population receiving KWAPM1 by school
band in 2011
Percent of schools (2011)

100% = 2,296

3,858

42

31
75

56
17
25

18
7
Good schools,
Band 1&2

52

19
Averageschools,
Band 3,4,5

Schools with <1/3
students receiving
KWAPM
Schools with 1/32/3 students
receiving KWAPM
Schools with >2/3
students receiving
KWAPM

Finally, the largest equity gaps remain socio-economic in origin.
This has been observed using three proxies: parents’ highest
level of educational attainment, states’ average householdincome, and the percentage of students receiving basic financial
assistance under the Poor Students’ Trust Fund, or Kumpulan
Wang Amanah Pelajar Miskin (KWAPM). For all three proxies,
the evidence consistently demonstrates that students from poorfamilies are less likely to perform as well as students frommiddle-income or high-income homes. As Exhibit 5 illustrates,
only 7% of Band 1 and 2 schools have student populations wheremore than two-thirds receive KWAPM, compared to 52% of
under-performing Band 6 and 7 schools.

Poor schools,
Band 6&7

1 Only primary schools were included, with the exception of 1,060 schools in Sabah and 418 schools in otherstates due to incomplete data.
SOURCE: Finance Division; National Key Result Area; EMIS database

Image by Yiie, Flickr CC 2.0

Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025
Executive Summary

SOME SCHOOLINGOPTIONS HAVE MOREETHNIC HOMOGENOUS
ENVIRONMENTS
Overall, enrolment in the public system remains broadly
reflective of national demographics. There are specificschooling options that have more ethnic homogenous
environments. This is the result of the Ministry providing
parents with options, namely the option for students to betaught in their mother tongue, the option for a curriculumwith a larger emphasis on religious education, as well as themainstream option of instruction in the national language.
While homogeneity and unity are not necessarily related,homogenous environments make it more challenging forstudents to be exposed to different cultures and ethnic groups
and to develop an appreciation for diversity that is critical forunity.
In recent years, ethnic stratification in schools has increased.
The proportion of Chinese students enrolled in SJKCs has

E-12

increased from 92% in 2000 to 96% in 2011. Indian students
enrolled in SJKTs have also increased from 47% to 56% of
SJKT enrolment for the same period. In SKs, 97% of students
are ethnically Bumiputera. As student environments become
more homogenous, there is a growing need for the Ministry
to create avenues for students from different school-types tointeract.
To foster unity, it is important for students to interact andlearn with peers and teachers from various ethnic, religious,
cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Accordingly, theMinistry has programmes like the Student Integration Planfor Unity, or Rancangan Integrasi Murid Untuk Perpaduan(RIMUP) to strengthen interaction among student fromdifferent school-types through co-curricular activities. A
review by the Schools Inspectorate and Quality Assurance orJemaah Nazir dan Jaminan Kualiti (JNJK) found that where
RIMUP was run, there was good evidence of inter-ethnic
mixing both inside and outside the classroom. However,there has been a significant drop in the number and scopeof activities under the RIMUP programme due to funding
constraints.

Image by Yiie, Flickr CC 2.0

E-13

EXHIBIT 6Country performance in international assessments relative to
public spend per student
Universal scale score1 2009 (max, median, min)
580

578

560

544
Singapore
South
Korea

540
ChineseTaipei

520

489

500
480
460

Slovak Republic

380
360

RussiaArmenia455

Turkey440

400

Australia
Estonia

PolandHungary
LatviaCzech
Republic

547

545

Hong Kong

531
Japan

New ZealandUruguay
Algeria
Philippines
W. Cape
El Savador
JordanAzerbaijan
Ghana
Indonesia

Mauritius

Kazakhstan
Colombia
Tunisia

Georgia
Morocco441

Macao
SAR, China

FrancePortugal

Malaysia2
Argentina

Slovenia

Spain

Croatia
GreeceBahrainIsraelSerbiaBulgaria

Romania
MexicoThailand

Moldova

Iran
Chile

530
Ontario
CanadaGermany

Lithuania

478

Syria

420

Excellent

Shanghai

Oman

458

FinlandUK
Iceland
Ireland

Italy

486

Cyprus531 Great

Belg.Flanders

Netherlands
Switzerland
NorwayDenmark
USA
SwedenAustria
Belg. CFB
Luxembourg

464

483
Fair

Malta

458

Saudi
Arabia422

Botswana

412

Kuwait402

397

Panama

Poor

370

340
320

Kyrgyzstan

327

0
0–
1,000

1,000–
2,000

Good

2,000–
3,000

3000–
4,000

4,000–
5,000

5,000–
6,000

6,000–
7,000

7,000–
8,000

8,000–
9,000

9,000–
10,00010,000+Public spend per student2, PPP units
1 Universal scale based on Hanushek & Woessmann methodology, to enable comparison across systems
2 Public spend per student for basic education (preschool, primary, and secondary school levels) for 2008 current prices
Note: Malaysia 2008 public spend is USD3000 per student
SOURCE: World Bank EdStats; IMF; UNESCO; PISA 2009+, TIMSS 2007; PIRLS 2006; Global Insight; McKinsey &Company 2010

Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025
Executive Summary

Return on investment is
not as high as desired
Malaysia’s consistently high levels of expenditure on
education have resulted in almost universal access toprimary education, and significant improvements in accessto secondary education. However, there remains room for
improvement on the dimensions of quality, equity, and unity.
Exhibit 6 compares the performance of different countries
in international assessments with their education spending
per student. The difference between each performanceband (Poor, Fair, Good, Great, and Excellent) represents
the equivalent of one year of schooling. Data as of 2010
indicates that Malaysia’s performance lags behind othercountries that have similar or lower levels of expenditure per
student, such as Thailand, Chile, and Armenia. This suggeststhat the system may not be allocating funds towards thefactors that have the highest impact on student outcomes,
such as the training and continuous upskilling of teachers.
High-performing systems like Singapore, South Korea
and Shanghai, however, do spend more per student than
Malaysia. The education system is also about to embark on
a major transformation effort. Consequently, Malaysia’s
expenditure levels should be maintained but the efficiency
and effectiveness of how funds are allocated and spent should
be reviewed.

ASPIRATIONS FOR THE
MALAYSIAN EDUCATIONSYSTEM AND MALAYSIANSTUDENTS
In order to properly address the needs of all Malaysians, andto prepare the nation to perform at an international level,
it is important to first envision what a highly-successful
education system must accomplish, particularly in the
Malaysian context. What kinds of students are best-prepared
to meet the challenges of a 21st century economy? Whatkind of education prepares them for this rapidly globalisingworld? These aspirations comprise two aspects: firstly, thosefor the education system as a whole, and secondly, thosefor individual students. This vision, and these aspirations,will set the stage for the transformation of the Malaysian
education system.

System aspirations
There are five outcomes that this Blueprint aspires to for
the Malaysian education system as a whole: access, quality,
equity, unity, and efficiency (Exhibit 7 ). These outcomes arein line with the aspirations articulated by participants during
the National Dialogue, and are comparable to outcomes set
by other high-performing education systems. Action acrossall five areas is important, and no initiative in one area should
detract from or undermine progress in another.
▪▪ Access: Every Malaysian child deserves equal access to an
education that will enable that child to achieve his or her
potential. The Ministry thus aspires to ensure universal
access and full enrolment of all children from preschool
through to upper secondary school level by 2020.
▪▪ Quality: All children will have the opportunity toattain an excellent education that is uniquely Malaysian
and comparable to the best international systems. The
aspiration is for Malaysia to be in the top third of countries
in terms of performance in international assessments,
as measured by outcomes in TIMSS and PISA, within

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EXHIBIT 7

Five
aspirations
for theeducationsystem system
Fivesystemsystemaspirations
forMalaysian
the Malaysian
education

Access100% enrolment across all levels

Quality

Top third of countries in international

EquityUnity
Efficiency

from preschool to upper secondary by 2020

assessments such as PISA and TIMSS in 15 years
50% reduction in achievement gaps
(urban-rural, socio-economic and gender) by 2020
An education system that gives children shared values
and experiences by embracing diversity

A system which maximises student outcomes withincurrent budget

Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025
Executive Summary

15 years. TIMSS and PISA currently test for literacy,
Mathematics, and Science only. Additional assessmentsthat address other dimensions of quality that are relevantto the Malaysian context may be included as they aredeveloped and become accepted international standards.

Looking ahead, the Blueprint will continue to use the
National Education Philosophy’s vision of a balanced
education as its foundation for individual student aspirations.
It has also drawn on learnings from other high-performing
systems to develop a refined articulation of the specificskills and attributes that students would need to thrive intomorrow’s economy and globalised world (Exhibit 8):▪▪ Equity: Top-performing school systems deliver the best
possible education for every child, regardless of geography,▪▪ Knowledge: At the most basic level, every child will begender, or socio- economic background. The Ministry
fully literate and numerate. Beyond this, it is important
aspires to halve the current urban-rural, socio-economic,that students master core subjects such as Mathematics
and gender achievement gaps by 2020.
and Science, and are informed with a rounded generalknowledge of Malaysia, Asia, and the world. This would▪▪ Unity: As students spend over a quarter of their time
include their histories, people, and geography. Students
in school from the ages of 7 t0 17, schools are in awill also be encouraged to develop their knowledge andkey position to foster unity. Through interacting withskills in other areas such as the arts, music, and sports.
individuals from a range of socio-economic, religious,and ethnic backgrounds, students learn to understand,▪▪ Thinking skills: Every child will learn how to continue
accept, and embrace differences. This creates a shared set
acquiring knowledge throughout their lives (instillingof experiences and aspirations to build Malaysia’s futurea love for inquiry and lifelong learning), to be able toon. The Ministry aspires to create a system where students
connect different pieces of knowledge, and to create newhave opportunities to build these shared experiences andknowledge. Every child will master a range of important
aspirations that form the foundation for unity.
cognitive skills, including critical thinking, reasoning,
creative thinking, and innovation. This is an area where▪▪ Efficiency: The Malaysian education system has always
the system has historically fallen short, with students
been well-funded, yet improvements in student outcomes
being less able than they should be in applying knowledge
have not always matched the resources channelled into
and thinking critically outside familiar academic contexts.
the system. While the Government will maintain current
levels of investment, the aspiration is to further maximise▪▪ Leadership skills: In our increasingly inter-connectedstudent outcomes within the current budget levels.
world, being able to lead and work effectively with others
is critical. The education system will help every student
Student aspirations
reach his or her full potential by creating formal and
Beyond these system-wide outcomes, stakeholders were
informal opportunities for students to work in teams, andalso very clear on what “quality” should be at the individual
to take on leadership roles. In the context of the education
student level. In a nutshell, educators, parents, students,
system, leadership encompasses four dimensions:and other members of the public were united in a vision ofentrepreneurship, resilience, emotional intelligence, andeducation as a vehicle for the holistic development of children
strong communication skills.
from the intellectual, spiritual, emotional, and physicaldimensions. This is the same vision that has underscored all▪▪ Bilingual Proficiency: Every child will be, at minimum,
education improvement efforts since the National Education
operationally proficient in bahasa Malaysia as the national
Philosophy was written in 1988.
language and language of unity, and in English as theinternational language of communication. This meansthat upon leaving school, the student should be able to

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EXHIBIT 8

Six key attributes needed by every student to be globallycompetitiveSix
key attributes needed by every student to be globally competitive
Every student will have …

L eadershipskillsB ilingual
proficiency

ThinkingskillsE

K nowledge

National identity

thics andspirituality… aligned with the National Education Philosophy

Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025
Executive Summary

Image by esharkj, Flickr CC 2.0

work in both a bahasa Malaysia and English language
environment. The Ministry will also encourage all students
to learn an additional language.
▪▪ Ethics and Spirituality: The education system will
inculcate strong ethics and spirituality in every child toprepare them to rise to the challenges they will inevitably
face in adult life, to resolve conflicts peacefully, to employ
sound judgement and principles during critical moments,
and to have the courage to do what is right. The education
system also seeks to nurture caring individuals who
gainfully contribute to the betterment of the community.
▪▪ National identity: An unshakeable sense of national
identity, tied to the principles of the Rukun Negara,is necessary for Malaysia’s success and future. Everychild will proudly identify as Malaysian, irrespective of
ethnicity, religion or socio-economic status. Achieving
this patriotism requires that every child understands thecountry’s history, and shares common aspirations for the
future. Establishing a true national identity also requiresa strong sense of inclusiveness. This can be achieved
through not only learning to understand and accept
diversity, but to embrace it.

Eleven shifts totransform the system
Over the course of the 15 months, the Ministry has sought
input from a broad range of stakeholders, from educationists
and academics to parents and students, on what would be
required to deliver on the aspirations identified above. Given
the volume of input, there was a surprisingly high degree ofconsensus on some topics such as the importance of raising
the quality of teachers. There were also topics, such as
the future of language education, where there were mixed
responses.
The Ministry reviewed these suggestions carefully, andintegrated them into the Blueprint based on four criteria.
Firstly, any action undertaken had to contribute to thesystem and student aspirations described above. This meantthat initiatives that delivered one outcome at the expense ofanother, or that would lead to a different aspiration, weredeprioritised. Secondly, the Ministry drew on international
evidence to identify and prioritise the factors that would
make the most difference in system, nation, and student
improvement. Thirdly, the proposals had to be relevantto the system’s starting point and be within the Ministry’s

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Eleven shifts to transform the system

ENSURE EVERY
CHILD ISPROFICIENT INBAHASAMALAYSIA ANDENGLISHLANGUAGE
AND IS
ENCOURAGED
TO LEARN AN
ADDITIONALLANGUAGE

DEVELOPVALUES-DRIVEN
MALAYSIANS

TRANSFORM
TEACHING INTO
THE
PROFESSION
OF CHOICEENSURE HIGHPERFORMINGSCHOOLLEADERS IN
EVERY SCHOOL▪ Benchmark learning of
languages, Scienceand Mathematics tointernational standards▪ Roll out the KSSR
Bahasa Malaysia
curriculum for
National-type schools,
with intensive remedialsupport for students
who require it▪ Enhance Islamic andMoral Education withgreater focus on unityand fostering stronger
bonds among students▪ Raise the entry bar forteachers from 2013 tobe amongst top 30% of
graduates▪ Enhance selection
criteria and succession
planning process forprincipals from 2013

▪ Revamp the IPG toworld class standards
by 2020▪ Roll out a New
Principal Career
Package in waves
with greater supportand sharper
accountability for
improving student
outcomes

SHIFTSPROVIDEEQUAL
ACCESS TOQUALITYEDUCATION
OF AN INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD▪ Launch revised Primary(KSSR) and Secondary(KSSM) Curriculum in
2017▪ Revamp examinations
and assessments toincrease focus on
higher-order thinking
skills by 2016
▪ Strengthen STEM
education▪ Enhance access andquality of existingeducation pathways,
starting with vocationaltrack▪ Raise quality of allpreschools andencourage universal
enrolment by 2020

▪ Expand the LINUS
programme to include
English literacy▪ Upskill English
language teachers▪ Make English language
SPM paper a
compulsory pass andexpand opportunities
for greater exposure to
the language▪ Develop students
holistically by
reinforcing requirement
to participate in 1 Sport,
1 Club and 1 Uniformed
Body▪ Enhance and expand
RIMUP from 2016 to
facilitate interaction
across school types▪ Encourage every childto learn an additional
language by 2025

SHIFT

1

▪ Focus teachers on theircore function ofteaching from 2013
▪ Implement competency
and performance-based
career progression by2016▪ Enhance pathways forteachers into
leadership, masterteaching and subject
specialist roles by 2016
▪ Develop a peer-led
culture of excellence
and certification
process by 2025

▪ Increase investment inphysical and teaching
resources for students
with specific needs▪ Move from 6 to 11
years of compulsory
schooling▪ Upgrade the quality ofcontinuous professional
development (CPD)from 2013

2

3

4

5

Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025
Executive Summary

E-20

EMPOWER
JPNs, PPDs,
AND SCHOOLSTO CUSTOMISESOLUTIONSBASED ON
NEEDLEVERAGEICT TOSCALE UPQUALITY
LEARNING
ACROSS
MALAYSIA

TRANSFORM
MINISTRY
DELIVERYCAPABILITIESAND CAPACITYPARTNER WITH
PARENTS,COMMUNITY,
AND PRIVATESECTOR AT
SCALE

MAXIMISESTUDENTOUTCOMESFOR EVERYRINGGIT

INCREASE
TRANSPARENCY
FOR DIRECT
PUBLICACCOUNTABILITY▪ Accelerate school
improvement throughsystematic, districtled programmesrolled out across allstates by 2014

▪ Provide internet
access and virtual
learning environment
via 1BestariNet for all
10,000 schools▪ Empower JPNs and
PPDs through greater
decision-making
power over budget
and personnel from2013, and greater
accountability for
improving student
outcomes▪ Equip every parent tosupport their child'slearning through aparent engagement
toolkit and online
access to their child's
in-school progress▪ Link every programme
to clear student
outcomes andannually rationalise
programmes that have
low impact▪ Publish an annual
public report on
progress against
Blueprint targets andinitiatives, startingfrom the year 2013

▪ Capture efficiency
opportunities, withfunding reallocated tothe most critical areas
such as teacher
training and upskilling▪ Conduct
comprehensive stocktakes in 2015, 2020
and 2025▪ Allow greater schoolbased management
and autonomy forschools that meet aminimum
performance criteria▪ Ensure 100% ofschools meet basic
infrastructure
requirements by
2015, starting with
Sabah and Sarawak▪ Ensure all
government andgovernment-aided
schools receive
equitable financial
support6▪ Augment online
content to share bestpractices starting witha video library of thebest teachers
delivering lessons in
Science,
Mathematics, Bahasa
Malaysia and English
language▪ Maximise use of ICT
for distance and selfpaced learning to
expand access tohigh-quality teaching
regardless of location
or student skill level

7▪ Deploy almost 2,500
more personnel from
the Ministry and JPNs
to PPDs in order tobetter support schools
by 2014▪ Strengthen leadershipcapabilities in 150-200
pivotal leadership
positions from 2013

▪ Invite every PIBG toprovide input oncontextualisation of
curriculum and teacher
quality from 2016
▪ Expand Trust Schoolmodel to 500 schools
by 2025 by including
alumni groups andNGOs as potential
sponsors▪ Design new functions
and structure for the
Ministry, with
implementation from20168

9 10 11

E-21

ability to deliver. Initiatives were thus sequenced to evolvein complexity as the capabilities and capacity of the Ministry
officers, teachers, and school leaders were developed.
Fourthly, the benefits of implementing the proposal had tooutweigh the financial and operational downsides.
The Ministry has identified 11 shifts that will need to occur
to deliver the step change in outcomes envisioned by all
Malaysians. Each shift will address at least one of the fivesystem outcomes of access, quality, equity, unity, andefficiency, with quality as the common underlying focus
across all shifts due to the fact that this is the dimension
which requires the most urgent attention. Some of theseshifts represent a change in strategy and direction. Others
represent operational changes in the way the Ministry andschools have historically implemented existing policies.
Regardless of whether it is a strategic or operational shift,
they all represent a move away from current practices.
Collectively, these shifts address every stakeholder and themain concerns of the public. The Ministry hopes that thisinclusiveness will provide the basis for a common focus thatcan be embraced by all Malaysians. The following section
summarises each of these shifts and provides examples ofgame-changing initiatives that will be launched.

Shift 1: Provide equal access to quality
education of an international standard
Why is it needed?: The foundation for the successof a school system lies in its definition of what its
students must know, understand, and be able to do—
Malaysian students have historically always excelled at
reproducing subject content. However, this skill is lessvaluable in today’s ever-changing economy. Instead,students need to be able to reason, to extrapolate,
and to creatively apply their knowledge in novel andunfamiliar settings. They also need attributes such as
leadership to be globally competitive. As the TIMSS andPISA international assessments have demonstrated,
our students struggle with higher-order thinking skills.

Surveys of Malaysian and multinational companies alsosuggest that our students fall short on the soft skills
looked for by prospective employers.
At the same time, education is often seen as an enabler
for social mobility, enabling children born in poorfamilies to earn higher incomes as adults. As long associo-economic status remains the greatest predictor ofacademic success, and the factor behind the largest of
all student outcome gaps in Malaysia, this promise willremain elusive for many Malaysians.
What will success look like?: Firstly, standards
for student outcomes and learning practices will bebenchmarked and aligned with that of high-performing
education systems so that the students Malaysia
produces are globally competitive. Secondly, students
who need more help will be given access to the rightlevels of support to succeed at school.
Benchmark the learning of languages, Mathematics,
and Science to international standards. Every student
will receive a strong grounding in foundational skills of literacy
and numeracy as well as in Science, a key growth area for the
Malaysian economy. They will be taught a curriculum thathas been benchmarked to the standards of high-performing
education systems, and this benchmarking will be validated
by an independent party to build parents’ confidence. The
Ministry will also set and monitor performance targets
for its performance on the PISA and TIMSS international
assessments. Additional assessments that address otherdimensions of quality that are relevant to the Malaysian context
may be added as they are developed, and become acceptedinternational standards.
Launch the Secondary School Standard Curriculum
or Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Menengah (KSSM)
and revised Primary School Standard Curriculum
or Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah (KSSR) in
2017. The school curriculum at both primary and secondary
levels will be revised to embed a balanced set of knowledge

Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025
Executive Summaryand skills such as creative thinking, innovation, problemsolving, and leadership. This curriculum will still stressstudent-centred and differentiated teaching, but have agreater emphasis on problem-based and project-based
work, a streamlined set of subjects or themes, and formative
assessments. The curriculum will also support an accelerated
learning pathway for high-performing students to complete
SPM in four rather than five years, and UPSR in five rather
than six years. Additionally, clear learning standards will belaid out so that students and parents understand the progress
expected within each year of schooling.
Revamp national examinations and school-based
assessments to gradually increase percentage ofquestions that test higher-order thinking. By 2016,higher-order thinking questions will comprise at least
40% of questions in UPSR and 50% in SPM. This change
in examination design means that teachers will focus lesson predicting what topics and questions will come out anddrilling for content recall. Instead, students will be trained
to think critically and to apply their knowledge in different
settings. Similarly, school-based assessments will also shift
their focus to testing for higher-order thinking skills.
Strengthen quality of Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education.
The curriculum, examinations and assessments for all STEM
subjects will be revised as part of the broader KSSR, KSSM
and higher-order thinking reforms described above. For
Science and Mathematics in particular, students will also
benefit from increased instructional time and an emphasis
on practical applications of knowledge through laboratory
and project-based work. In the interim, the Ministry will
introduce top-up curricular modules to address the largest
content and skill gaps among students identified in the
TIMSS and PISA assessments. These modules will be
implemented from 2014. The Ministry will also conduct
a diagnostic of teachers’ content and pedagogical skills toenable the provision of targeted upskilling programmes, andexplore the use of blended-learning models that leveragetechnology to enhance student learning.

Enhance access to and quality of existing education
pathways, starting with the vocational track. By theend of 2013, academic and career counselling services will
be built into the secondary school timetable to help students
make better informed choices about the various education
pathways on offer such as religious schools, vocational
and technical schools, arts and sports schools, accelerated
learning programmes for high-performing and gifted
students, and Form 6 and matriculation. For pathways suchas vocational education where student demand outstrips
supply, the Ministry will explore seat-purchase agreementswith the private sector. The Ministry will also raise the qualityof existing provision. For vocational education, this means
collaborating with the private sector to develop industryrecognised qualifications, offer more hands-on practicum
opportunities and upskill teachers.
Raise quality of all preschools and encourage
universal enrolment by 2020. Every child aged 5+ will
be enrolled in a registered preschool, be it public or private.
Low-income families that would otherwise not be able toafford preschool will receive need-based financial support
from the Ministry. All preschools will follow a set of national
quality standards, including a provision that every preschool
teacher has a minimum diploma qualification. These schools
will also be inspected regularly by the Ministry or the Early
Childhood Care and Education Council of Malaysia to ensurethat they meet minimum standards.
Increase investment in physical and teaching
resources for students with specific needs. Orang
Asli students and other minority groups, and students
with physical or learning disabilities will receive additional
support so that they can enjoy the same educational
opportunities. By 2025, these students will all go to schools
with the facilities and equipment needed to create a
conducive and supportive learning environment. They will
be taught by teachers who have received additional training
to help them understand their students’ specific contexts andchallenges, and the teaching strategies required to address
them. These students will also be supported by an expanded
network of counsellors, therapists, and teaching assistants, as
required.

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E-23

Move from six to 11 years of compulsory schooling,
starting at age 6+, supported by targeted retention
programmes. By 2020, every student will leave formal
schooling with a minimum SPM or equivalent vocational
qualification. This means that compulsory schooling will
increase from six to 11 years, and that approximately 5%,
10%, and 20% more students will be enrolled at the primary,lower, and upper secondary levels respectively (based on
2011 enrolment numbers for public and private schools).
Students who are at risk of dropping out will be supported
through a variety of retention initiatives, from remedialcoaching to parent and student counselling.

Shift 2: Ensure every child is proficientin Bahasa Malaysia and English
language and is encouraged to learn an
additional language
Why is it needed?: Malaysia’s multicultural society
makes it a natural environment for producing students
who are proficient in more than one language. The
current system produces commendably strong Bahasa
Malaysia learning outcomes. There is widespread
operational proficiency in Bahasa Malaysia among
students, with 75% of students achieving a minimum
credit in the 2010 SPM examination. Bahasa Malaysia
also consistently shows the strongest pass rates outof the core subjects in the UPSR, PMR and SPM
examinations. Operational proficiency in English is,
however, much lower. Only 28% of students achieved aminimum credit in the 2011 SPM English paper against
Cambridge 1119 standards. Poor English proficiency
among fresh graduates, since 2006, has also been
consistently ranked as one of the top five issues facing
Malaysian employers.
As the ethnic groups move through different primaryschools, there are differences in outcomes by ethnicity.
Bumiputera students perform very strongly on Bahasa
Malaysia proficiency with 84% achieving a minimum
credit at SPM, in contrast to 63% of Chinese students,and 57% of Indian students. For English, only 23%
Bumiputera, 42% Chinese, and 35% Indian students
score at a level equivalent to a Cambridge 1119
credit or above (all results based on the 2010 SPM
examination).
What will success look like?: Boosting all students’proficiency in bahasa Malaysia and English language
will be the most immediate priority. After three years ofschooling, every child will achieve 100% basic literacy
in bahasa Malaysia and English language. By the end

Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025
Executive Summaryof Form 5, 90% of students will score a minimum ofa Credit in SPM Bahasa Malaysia, and 70% in SPM
English (against Cambridge 1119 standards). From
2016, the Ministry will make the English language SPM
paper a compulsory pass. Further, the provision ofother language subjects at all primary and secondary
schools will be strengthened so that every child canhave the opportunity to learn an additional language by
2025.
Roll out new Bahasa Malaysia curriculum for
National-type schools, with intensive remedialsupport for students who require it. In 2011, theMinistry introduced a new Bahasa Malaysia curriculum
specially designed for teaching students, whose mothertongue is not Bahasa Malaysia and who have less instruction
time in Bahasa Malaysia as compared to National schools.
This curriculum will have fewer learning requirements inthe early years of primary education (Year 1-3), but converge
to similar skill acquisition standards in National schools byYear 6 with appropriate assessment. The roll-out started
with Year 1 students and will complete the cycle by 2016.
Additionally, parents of students, who have yet to meet therequired proficiency levels, will have the option of sending
their children for after-school remedial classes from Years 4
to 6, or put them through the “Remove” or Peralihan year.
Expand the LINUS programme to include English
literacy. Every student in Years 1 to 3 will be screened
twice a year to determine if they are progressing in Bahasa
Malaysia and English literacy at an expected pace. Students
who fall behind will be given remedial coaching until they
are able to return to the mainstream curriculum. Teachers
working with such students will also receive dedicatedcoaching from district level teacher coaches.
Upskill English teachers. Every student will betaught English by a teacher who is proficient according tointernational standards. This will be achieved by having all
61,000 English teachers pass the Cambridge Placement Test
(CPT) within two years. Teachers who have yet to meet thisstandard will receive intensive upskilling.

Make the English language SPM paper a compulsory
pass and expand opportunities for greater exposure
to the language. The Ministry will make it compulsory forstudents to pass the English SPM paper from 2016 in order toobtain their SPM certificate. To support students in meeting
this requirement, the Ministry is rolling out a variety of
support programmes, including a set system of grouping andteaching students by proficiency levels. Beyond that, students
will have greater exposure to the language, for example via
an expanded, compulsory literature in English module at the
primary and secondary level. International research indicatesthat more exposure time than the current 15-20% is required
for students to achieve operational proficiency. The Ministry
will also explore the introduction of blended learning models
that leverage technology to enhance student learning.
Encourage every child to learn an additional
language by 2025. Currently, many students already learn
additional languages apart from Bahasa Malaysia and English
language, which equip them well for entering the workforce ina globalising world. The aspiration is therefore for every childto have the opportunity to learn an additional language fromprimary through to secondary school. During the early years,
the Ministry will focus on building up its cadre of Chinese,
Tamil, and Arabic language teachers to ensure that the supply

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of teachers matches student demand. As the system builds
up capacity and capability, the Ministry will also expand
the provision of other important languages such as Spanish,French, and Japanese. The teaching of an additional language
will also be incorporated into instruction time at secondary
school, as is the case in the revised KSSR.

strengthened through a greater focus on understanding values
related to unity and fostering good relations among students.

Develop students holistically by reinforcing therequirement for every student to participate in
one Sport, one Club, and one Uniformed Body. Cocurricular involvement provides students with opportunities
to develop their individual talents and interests outside of a
Shift 3: Develop values-driven
formal classroom setting. Such activities also provide excellent
Malaysians
leadership opportunities for students. Every child will therefore
Why is it needed?: Today’s students will inherit a world still be expected to participate in at least one sport, one club, andfraught with challenges, from environmental degradation one uniformed body. The Ministry will also look into making
participation a requirement for graduation and scholarships forto armed conflict, on a scale that has never been seen
further education. To improve the quality of activities offered
before. Successfully navigating these issues will not
at each school, the Ministry will provide targeted training to
only require students to have leadership skills, butteachers who act as advisors for these different activities, andstrong universal values such as integrity, compassion,
partner with more community organisations and the private
justice, and altruism, to guide them in making ethicalsector in the delivery of these programmes.

decisions. At the same time, it is important to balance
the development of global citizenship with a strong
national identity.

What will success look like?: Every student leaves
school as a global citizen imbued with core, universal
values and a strong Malaysian identity. The values
they have learnt are applied in their day-to-day lives,
leading to more civic behaviour such as an increase involunteerism; a willingness to embrace peoples of othernationalities, religions and ethnicities; and a reduction incorruption and crime. Every student also leaves school
prepared to act as a leader, whether in their own lives
and families, or as part of the broader community andnation.

Enhance and scale up RIMUP from 2016 to facilitate
interaction across school types. The Ministry currently
runs a cross-school activity programme, RIMUP, to foster
greater interaction across students from different school types.
In the future, the frequency and intensity of the programme will
be increased and targeted at schools with more homogeneous
student populations, such as National-type and religious schools.
The Ministry will also expand this programme to include private
schools.

Shift 4: Transform teaching into theprofession of choice

Why is it needed?: International research shows thatteacher quality is the most significant school-based
factor in determining student outcomes. The quality
Enhance Islamic and Moral Education with greaterof a system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers.
focus on unity and fostering stronger bonds among
While there are certainly many excellent teachers in thestudents. The revised KSSR and KSSM curriculum will
Malaysian education system, a 2011 research by AKEPT
require that every primary and secondary school student
found that only 50% of lessons are being delivered
participate in community service. For secondary school
students, this community service element will be a pre-requisite in an effective manner. This means that the lessons
for graduation. The Islamic Education curriculum for Muslim
did not sufficiently engage students, and followed astudents and Moral Education for non-Muslim students will be more passive, lecture format of content delivery. TheseMalaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025
Executive Summary

lessons focused on achieving surface-level content
understanding, instead of higher-order thinking skills.
This statistic is particularly challenging as an estimated
60% of today’s teachers will still be teaching in 20
years’ time.
What will success look like?: Teaching will be aprestigious, elite profession that only recruits fromthe top 30% of graduates in the country. Teachers
will receive the best training possible, from the timethey enter their teacher training programmes, throughto the point of retirement. They will have access toexciting career development opportunities acrossseveral distinct pathways, with progression basedon competency and performance, not tenure. There
will be a peer-led culture of excellence whereinteachers mentor one another, develop and share bestpractices and hold their peers accountable for meeting
professional standards.
Raise the entry bar for teachers from 2013 to beamongst top 30% of graduates: In the future, only thebest candidates will be recruited as teachers. This meansthat the Ministry will rigorously enforce entry standards toensure that 100% of every teacher training intake meet theminimum academic requirement. The Ministry will ensurethat the same standards are put in place in the teacher
training programmes in Public and Private Higher Education
Institutions (IPT). Additionally, the Ministry will ensurethat the quality of the curriculum and lecturers are upgradedto deliver the kind of teachers desired. The Ministry will
also introduce more stringent graduation requirements sothat only the best trainees can graduate and be guaranteed
placement in Malaysian schools.
Revamp the IPG. The Ministry aims to transform the
IPG into a world-class teacher training university by 2020.
To do so, the Ministry will review the current pre-service
training curriculum to ensure that teachers are adequately
prepared to teach the higher-order thinking skills desiredof Malaysia’s students. This will include increasing thepercentage of time spent on practicum training to 40% acrossall programmes. The IPG will also offer different programmes(diplomas, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees) tocater to candidates with varying experience levels (fresh
graduates and mid-career leavers). The selection criteria for
new lecturers will be enhanced, and existing lecturers will be
upskilled.
Upgrade the quality of continuous professional
development (CPD) from 2013. Teachers will receive
greater support to help them achieve their full potential.
When they enter the profession, teachers will develop an
individualised CPD programme with their supervisors. This
CPD programme will include common training requirements
expected of all teachers, as well as electives that teachers
can pursue based on their own developmental needs. It will
mostly be run at school, as school-based training has provento be the most effective form of CPD. It will use a networkof peers including teacher coaches, senior teachers, andprincipals to disseminate best practices. The training willallow teachers to continuously build their skill levels against
each of the competencies expected of a teacher. The Teacher
Education Division or Bahagian Pendidikan Guru (BPG) will
be responsible for providing this CPD.
Focus teachers on their core function of teachingfrom 2013. Teachers will enjoy a reduced administrative
burden, so that they can focus the majority of their timeon their core function of teaching. This will be achieved bystreamlining and simplifying existing data collection andmanagement processes. Some administrative functions will
also be moved to a centralised service centre or to a dedicatedadministrative teacher at the school level.
Implement competency and performance-based
career progression by 2016. Teachers will be assessedannually by their principals, with input potentially being
provided by peers. This assessment will be done using a new
evaluation instrument that focuses on teachers’ ability todeliver effective instruction in and out of the classroom. Thisnew tool is more reflective of the fact that a teacher’s primaryrole is helping students learn. High-performing teachers
will enjoy faster career progression. The very best teachers

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may even be promoted from DG41 to DG54 in a faster time
period than the current average promotion time of 25 years.
Teachers who are struggling to meet the minimum quality
will receive extra coaching support to help them get back on
track. Teachers who consistently underperform even withthe extra support will be redeployed to other school-based
functions such as administration, discipline management
or co-curricular management. Over time, the Ministry will
gradually reduce the total cohort size of teachers throughimprovements in teacher time utilisation and productivity.

Shift 5: Ensure high-performing schoolleaders in every school

Why is it needed?: The quality of school leaders isthe second biggest school-based factor in determining
student outcomes, after teacher quality. Several
international research on school leadership shows thatan outstanding principal is one focused on instructionaland not administrative leadership. Effective schoolleaders can raise student outcomes by as much as
20%. The current selection criterion is, however driven
Enhance pathways for teachers into leadership,master teaching and subject specialist roles by 2016. primarily by tenure rather than leadership competency.
Additionally, 55% of today’s principals received no
Teachers will also be able to pursue attractive pathways
based on their performance, potential and interests. For
preparatory or induction training before or during their
example, they may wish to pursue a leadership role at theformative first three years of principalship. This means
school, district, state, or federal level. They may choose tothat principals may enter, ill-prepared for their new role.
become subject specialists focused on developing curriculum, With 40% of principals due to retire within the next fiveassessment, and training programmes for the broader system. years, there is an opportunity to upgrade the cohort.
They may work as master teachers in schools. Regardless ofthe pathway chosen, the commitment to investing in theirdevelopment and in building an environment of professional
accountability will be maintained across their careers. There
will also be comparable opportunities for promotion acrossthese pathways.

Develop a peer-led culture of professional excellence
and certification process by 2025. The Ministry will
focus on ensuring that all teachers fully utilise the flexibilities
accorded to them over professional issues related tocurriculum timetabling and lesson organisation, pedagogicalapproaches and school-based assessment. The Ministry
will also facilitate teacher-driven CPD activities to enable
teachers to mentor one another, develop and disseminate
best practices and hold each other accountable for meeting
professional standards. As an extension of the competencybased progression system, the Ministry may also consider
setting up a certification scheme linked to the masteryof the teacher competencies described above. As with allmeasures, the Ministry will work collaboratively with teacher
representatives to achieve these aims.

What will success look like?: Every school will havea high-performing principal who is relentless in his or her
focus on improving student outcomes, both academic
and non-academic. The best principals will be given
incentives to serve in the weakest schools, and willserve as mentors for the broader community. Further,
the leadership base in each school will be strengthened
with assistant principals, subject heads, and department
heads being developed to act as instructional leaders intheir own right.
Enhance selection criteria and succession planning
processes for principals from 2013. The Ministry will
move from a tenure-based selection criteria to one that is
focused on the demonstration of leadership competencies.
Every principal will also be required to complete the National
Professional Qualification for Educational Leaders (NPQEL) at
Institut Aminuddin Baki (IAB) before they can be appointed.
In doing so, the average age of a principal is expected to drop,
allowing principals to serve for longer periods in each school
and in the system as a whole. Further, the Ministry will instituteMalaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025
Executive Summary

a succession planning process that identifies and cultivates
high-potential individuals to ensure that there is a ready poolof candidates that can be called upon as soon as an opening
is available. Once these mechanisms have been set up, theMinistry will expand their planning focus to include assistantprincipals, as well as subject and department heads.
Roll out a New Principal Career Package in waves
with greater support and sharper accountability
for improving student outcomes. As with teachers,
principals will receive greater support to help themachieve their full potential and will therefore be held moreaccountable for the delivery of higher student outcomes.
Soon-to-be appointed principals will benefit from a new
on-boarding programme where they spend one month underthe mentorship of the principal who will be leaving. They will
also enjoy a set period of coaching and mentoring from anexperienced principal or district School Improvement Partner(SIPartner+) once they have formally started their new role asprincipal. These individualised opportunities for CPD will notstop in their first year, but remain a resource that principals
can draw on for constant professional renewal. IAB will also
ensure that comparable CPD opportunities are available toassistant principals, subject heads, and department heads.
Principals will have the flexibility to serve at a primary or
secondary school through a new, common civil service track.
They will be assessed annually on a new evaluation instrumentthat focuses on their leadership abilities and improvement ofstudent outcomes. As with teachers, high-performing principals
will enjoy faster career progression opportunities. Incentives will
also be revised to encourage high-performing principals to takeup positions in rural and/or underperforming schools. Principals
who struggle to meet the minimum standard will receive extra
coaching support and principals who consistently underperform
despite this concerted support will be redeployed back to ateaching position in another school.
All school leaders (principals, assistant principals, department
heads and subject heads) will be prepared to fully utilise thedecision-making flexibilities accorded to them. This includes
instructional leadership matters such as school improvement
planning and curriculum and co-curricular planning, as well as

administrative leadership matters such as allocation of school
funds. As with teachers, the aspiration is to create a peer-led
culture of professional excellence wherein school leaders mentor
and train one another, develop and disseminate best practices
and hold their peers accountable for meeting professional
standards.

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Shift 6: Empower JPNs, PPDs, andschools to customise solutions basedon needWhy is it needed?: Both national and international
data suggest that Malaysian schools are spread acrossa wide performance spectrum. For example, in the2009+ PISA, 7% of participating schools were graded
as Good, 13% as Fair, and 80% as Poor.
Historically, many programmes have been designed
according to a “one-size-fits-all” model. International
evidence suggests that different sets of interventions
are required in order to best serve schools at different
performance levels.
What will success look like?: Every school,
regardless of location, size, or type, will provide its
students with a good, holistic education. This not onlymeans that there will be no underperforming (Bands 6or 7) schools in the country by 2020, but also that more
schools will be recognised as high performing or cluster
schools based on their performance. The amount offinancial and operational support provided to eachschool will depend on its specific needs. State, district
and school leaders will also have greater decision
making power over day-to-day operations to tailor
interventions based on the school’s context and enable
greater school-based management.

performing schools (Bands 5, 6 and 7). At the same time,
the Ministry will ensure that all schools and districts remainaligned to the Ministry’s strategic priorities through the rollout of a common set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
This programme will be piloted in Kedah and Sabah fromJanuary 2013, with implementation in all districts by 2014.
Allow greater school-based management andautonomy for schools that meet a minimum
performance criteria. In the future, all schools will be
responsible for operational decision making in terms ofbudget allocation and curriculum implementation. For
example, principals will have full authority over how they
spend the per capita grant (PCG) and on how they design
the school timetable. However, this process will occur inwaves, starting with High Performing and Cluster Schools(in recognition of their academic and non-academic
achievements), and Trust Schools (in recognition of theirinnovative public-private partnership delivery model). Overtime, more and more schools will be granted these decisionrights based on their performance. This increased emphasison school-based management will also be accompanied bysharper accountability on the part of school principals.

Ensure 100% of schools meet basic infrastructure
requirements by 2015, starting with Sabah andSarawak. Every school in Malaysia, regardless of location,size, or type, will meet a set of minimum infrastructure
requirements to create a safe, hygienic, and conducive
environment for learning. This includes access to clean,treated water; at least 12-hours of electricity per day, alongwith sufficient toilets, classrooms, tables, and chairs for the
student and teacher population. This process will start withAccelerate school improvement through systematic,
the upgrading of all schools to fulfil basic infrastructure
district-led programmes rolled out across all states
standards by 2015, starting with Sabah and Sarawak as theyby 2014. Building off the success of the GTP 1.0 School
currently face the greatest infrastructure challenges. Once
Improvement Programme, every District Education Office
all schools have met basic infrastructure standards, theor Pejabat Pelajaran Daerah (PPD) will be empowered
Ministry will proceed to invest in another wave of upgrades
to tailor the support provided to schools on dimensions
to meet baseline requirements for delivering the curriculumfrom student attendance through to principal and teacher
deployment. Resources can then be directed to where they are effectively such as Science laboratories and Living Skills
workshops.
most needed. This includes employing full-time teacher andprincipal coaches to support principals and teachers in lower-

Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025
Executive Summary

Ensure all government and government-aided
schools receive equitable financial support. The
Ministry will develop and implement a transparent andequitable set of principles for the allocation of financial andother support to all school types. These principles will be inline with the system aspirations of access, quality, equity,
unity, and efficiency. For example, the Ministry recognisesthat some schools face more challenges than others due totheir higher proportion of low-income students or students
with specific needs. In the interest of equity, these schools
will require additional funding so that they can deploy extra
support services for their students.

Shift 7: Leverage ICT to scale up quality
learning across Malaysia
Why is it needed?: The Ministry has spent morethan RM6 billion on information and communication
technology (ICT) over the past decade in education
initiatives such as smart schools—one of themost capital-intensive investments the system has
undertaken. However, ICT usage in schools continues
to lag expectations—both in terms of quantity andquality. For example, a 2010 Ministry study found thatapproximately 80% of teachers spend less than one
hour a week using ICT, and only a third of students
perceive their teachers to be using ICT regularly.
Critically, the 2012 UNESCO review found that ICT
usage has not gone much further than the use of wordprocessing applications as an instructional tool. ICT has
tremendous potential to accelerate the learning of awide range of knowledge and thinking skills. However,this potential has not yet been achieved.
What will success look like?: Across all 10,000
schools in Malaysia, ICT will enhance how teaching
and learning happens. Students will be able to accessa wider range of content that is more engaging andinteractive. They will be able to learn some lessons
at their own pace, and will have fewer limitations inwhat they choose to study through distance-learning

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programmes. Teachers and principals will have accessto both national and international learning resources
and communities to help them improve their practice.
ICT will be a ubiquitous part of schooling life, withno urban-rural divide, and with all teachers andstudents equipped with the skills necessary to use thistechnology meaningfully and effectively.
Provide internet access and virtual learning
environments via 1BestariNet for all 10,000 schools
by 2013. In the very near future, every student will haveaccess to a 4G network at their school through 1BestariNet.
This network will serve as the basis for the creation of avirtual learning platform that can be used by teachers,
students and parents to share learning resources, runinteractive lessons, and communicate virtually. To maximise
the impact from investment, the Ministry will also invest
in ICT-competency training for all teachers, and gradually
improve the device-to-student ratio from approximately 1:30
in 2011 to 1:10 by 2020. In order to remain cost-efficient,
the Ministry will invest in fit-for-purpose devices such as
basic computers or low-cost laptops. It will also experimentwith utilising new, less resource-intensive alternatives for
ICT facilities compared to current computer labs, such as alending library for notebooks and computers-on-wheels.
Augment online content to share best practices
starting with a video library in 2013 of the bestteachers delivering lessons in Science, Mathematics,
Bahasa Malaysia, and English language. Teachers will
be able to access even more exemplary teaching resources
online. This will begin with a video library in 2013 of the
top Guru Cemerlang delivering daily lessons in important
subjects of Science, Mathematics, Bahasa Malaysia, andEnglish language. Other subjects will be added to the video
library over time. This resource can be used by teachers for
inspiration, or even by students as a revision tool.
Maximise use of ICT for distance and self-paced
learning to expand access to high-quality teaching
regardless of location or student skill level. In the
future, students will enjoy greater personalisation of theireducational experience. They will be able to pursue subjects
that are not offered at their own school and learn directly
under the best teachers in the country through distancelearning programmes. They will also be able to learn attheir own pace, with teachers acting as facilitators rather
than direct content providers. Pilot programmes for these
innovations will be rolled out from 2016, with successfulprogrammes scaled up nationwide.

Shift 8: Transform Ministry delivery
capabilities and capacity
Why is it needed?: Malaysia’s education delivery
network is extensive. It employs approximately 6,800
officials and support staff at the federal level, almost
6,400 at the state level, and a further 6,000 at the
district level. This is in addition to approximately
420,000 principals and teachers in schools, and morethan 13,100 officials and support staff in IPGS, IAB andmatriculation colleges. Implementing policy across a
network of this size is complex. Issues identified include
overlaps in the responsibilities of the federal, state, anddistrict levels; limited coordination across divisions andadministrative levels; policies that are sometimes rolled
out with inconsistent information or insufficient support;
and weak outcome-based monitoring and followthrough.
The PPD, in particular, has been identified by the
Ministry as a key point in the education delivery chain.
PPDs were historically conceived as an administrative
arm of the federal and state levels. As the needs ofschools have evolved, however, so too has the scope ofactivities expected of the PPDs. As the closest ministry
entity to schools, PPDs are now expected to be very
hands-on. They should provide direct support to schoolleaders and proactively manage school performanceto ensure student outcomes improve. However, theMinistry’s resourcing structure has yet to shift to meetthis demand, resulting in schools receiving unevenlevels of support.

Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025
Executive Summary

What will success look like?: The transformed
Ministry will have strong leaders at every level, newprocesses and structures, and a culture of highperformance. The roles of the federal, state and districtlevels will be streamlined, with the federal or head
office focused on policy development and macrolevel planning, and the state education departments
or JPNs and PPDs strengthened to drive day-to-day
implementation. The organisational structure will be
rationalised with more personnel deployed to thefrontlines. These measures should yield more consistentand effective policy implementation across all statesand districts.

Strengthen leadership capabilities in 150 to 200
pivotal leadership positions from 2013. The Ministry
has identified 150 to 200 pivotal leadership positions at thefederal, state, and district levels that particularly impact theactivities of the 10,000 schools in the system. These positions
include the heads of 138 PPDs and 16 JPNs and several key
central functions such as teacher education. The Ministry
has started reviewing competency profiles and developing
succession plans to ensure that these roles are staffed withhighly-skilled individuals capable of transforming thedepartments and schools under them. As with teachers andprincipals, the intent is to promote officers to these criticalroles based on their performance and competency, and not bytenure.

Empower JPNs and PPDs through greater decisionmaking power over budget and personnel from2013, and greater accountability for improving
student outcomes. The Ministry will streamline roles andresponsibilities across federal, state, and district levels andmove towards a more decentralised system of operations.
JPNs and PPDs will increasingly be able to make key
operational decisions in budgeting, such as maintenanceallocations for schools, and in personnel, such as theappointment of principals. Due to this increased operational
flexibility, JPNs and PPDs will be held accountableagainst a common set of KPIs that align with the systemtargets of access, quality, equity, unity, and efficiency. To
support district and state officers in delivering on these
new responsibilities, the Ministry will invest more in theircontinuous professional development.

Design new functions and structure for the Ministryby 2013, with implementation from 2016. The
Ministry will work collaboratively with the central agencies,
particularly JPA to clearly articulate what the restructured
Ministry roles, headcounts and reporting lines should look
like and how the transition will occur. The Ministry will
also strengthen central functions critical to the rollout of
the Blueprint. These include policy research and planning,teacher education, curriculum development, school
inspections, and examination and assessment. Possible
measures include setting up the divisions as centres of
excellence to increase their independence, and/or targetedhiring of external specialists. Partial implementation of theplan will commence in 2014, with full implementation from2016 as the Ministry transformation gathers momentum.

Deploy almost 2,500 more personnel from the
Ministry and JPNs to PPDs in order to better support
schools by 2014. Schools will receive more hands-on
support through the deployment of almost 2,500 teacher andprincipal coaches across all PPDs in Malaysia. Regardlessof function, all PPD officers will also be expected to shift
their focus from work at the PPD to hands-on engagementwith schools. This is to ensure that they fully understand thecontexts in which each school operates. The goal is for PPDs
to function as the first line of support for schools and theirmain point of contact with the rest of the Ministry.

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Shift 9: Partner with parents,
community, and private sector at scale
Why is it needed?: International experience makes
it clear that learning happens well beyond the school
walls and can occur at home and in the community.
In Malaysia, approximately a quarter of a child’s timefrom the ages of seven to 17 is spent in school. The
priority is thus to shift from “school learning” to “system
learning” by engaging parents, the community, as
well as the private and social sectors as partners insupporting student learning. Critically, international
evidence is clear that some forms of involvement makemore of a difference. For example, evidence from theOECD studies on PISA indicate that certain parent-child
activities—such as reading to their children on a daily
basis or discussing how their day was—can significantly
raise student outcomes, regardless of socio-economic
background. Similarly, international research has
found that schools that engage with businesses, civicorganisations, and higher education institutes enjoy
benefits that include higher grades and lower student
absenteeism.
What will success look like?: Every parent will be an
active partner in their child’s learning, not only throughthe standard raft of activities like report card andsports days, but also a strengthened parent-teacher
association or Persatuan Ibu Bapa dan Guru (PIBG) thatprovides input on school-based management matters,
as well as parent toolkits to support student learning.
Schools will also have a network of community andprivate sector partners that contribute expertise to theschool’s development. The involvement of all thesestakeholders will create a learning ecosystem thatreinforces the knowledge, skills, and values taught tostudents at school.
Equip every parent to support their child’s learning
through a parent engagement toolkit and online
access to their child’s in-school progress. In the

future, parents can expect to work more closely with teachers
to improve their child’s performance. Parents will sign
home-school agreements that specify simple actions they
can take to help their child, from ensuring that the child isalways on time for school, to helping them build literacy andnumeracy skills at home. Parents will be supported in thisprocess through the provision of online access to their child’s
progress on school-based and national assessments (via
the School Examination Analysis System or Sistem Analisis
Peperiksaan Sekolah, (SAPS)) and initiatives that promote
adult literacy, ICT and parenting skills. These initiatives may
be driven by the Ministry or a new Parent Support Group thatwill be established within each PIBG.
Invite every PIBG to provide input oncontextualisation of curriculum and teacher quality
from 2016. In the future, the role of the PIBG will evolvefrom typically being focused on fund-raising, to working
collaboratively with school leadership to improve student
outcomes. Specifically, PIBGs will be invited to provide input
on how the school can make the national curriculum more
relevant to the needs of the local community, and to provide
feedback on the quality of teaching and learning experienced
by their children. PIBGs and school leaders will then work
together to define solutions for the identified issues. In somecases, this may mean securing parental support to take onroles as supplementary coaches and teachers for school
activities.
Expand Trust School model to 500 schools by 2025
by including alumni groups and Non-Governmental
Organisations (NGOs), as potential sponsors. A
greater diversity of private and social sector entities will havethe opportunity to get involved in the school improvement
process. This will be done through the expansion of theTrust Schools programme which enables a private sponsor
to partner with school leadership to manage a school. Initial
results from a pilot started in 2010 have been promising,and the Ministry intends to not only expand the number ofschools, but also the type of schools that are involved. The
Ministry sees particular promise in expanding the programme
to include schools that cater to more communities withspecific needs such as indigenous and minority groups,
students with special needs, and rural schools.

Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025
Executive Summary

Shift 10: Maximise student outcomesfor every ringgit

Link every programme to clear student outcomes, andannually rationalise programmes that have low impact.
Moving forward, every programme launched by the Ministry
will be linked to specific targets in terms of student outcomes.
The federal, state and district offices will undertake anannual review exercise to evaluate the programme’s successin meeting these targets. Funding for the following year will
be conditional of having demonstrated improved outcomes.
With this outcome-based budgeting approach, parents,
teachers, and principals can be assured that every programmeis aligned with the Blueprint’s priorities and adds value. This
move will also reduce the risk of initiative overload so thatteachers and principals are not overburdened.

Why is it needed?: In 2011, 16% of Malaysia’s annual
federal budget was spent on education—the largest
proportion among all ministries. Malaysia’s educationbudget, as a share of GDP, is also one of the highest
in the world. This significant investment is an indicationof the Government’s commitment to education.
However, it is unlikely that substantially more funds canbe diverted to the education system away from otherpriorities. Instead, it is critical for the Ministry to increase
the efficiency and effectiveness of how it allocates andCapture efficiency opportunities, with funding
spends its funds.
What will success look like?: Given the ambitioustransformation effort that the education system isabout to undertake, the Government will continue
to invest an approximate level of expenditure—16%of the federal budget—in the education system. The
Ministry will allocate these funds to the priorities set
out in the Blueprint, and away from other lower impact
programmes and initiatives. The Ministry will also track
and report the captured return on investment for every
initiative, with further investment conditional of having
delivered improved outcomes.

reallocated to the most critical areas such as teacher
training and upskilling. The Ministry will carefully review
spending patterns at federal, state, and district levels toestablish appropriate spending benchmarks and refine
procurement processes. Departments and offices that are
spending above the expected benchmark will be required tobring their spending patterns back in line. In line with thispractice, the Ministry is committed to taking action on any
issues highlighted in the annual Auditor-General report.
The Ministry will also shift towards need-based financial aid
programmes. Low-income families will continue to receive
the aid they need to keep their children in schools, while

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What Impact Will This Transformation Journey Have?

For the transformation of
the Malaysian education
system to be effective andsustainable, eachparticipant must
understand the criticalrole they play and thebenefits that they will
enjoy. It is envisaged thatthe programme defined inthis Blueprint will lead toa collective set ofdesirable benefits, rights,
and responsibilities foreach group.

Students

Teachers

Students will make significant gains intheir development irrespective of theirbackground. Students will study inconducive learning environments, andwill feel stretched and nurtured bytheir school experience. When theyleave school, students will have worldclass knowledge and skills, strong
moral values, and will be capable ofcompeting with their peers in othercountries.

Teachers will develop the world-classcapabilities needed to facilitate
desired student outcomes and gain
more enjoyment and fulfillment fromtheir jobs. With the new teacher career
package, they will enjoy more fulfilling
professional development, improved
career pathways, and fair andtransparent evaluation processes thatare directly linked to relevant
competencies and performance.

Students will learn in an environment where
the fundamental belief is that all students
can learn and all students can succeed.
Teachers will have high expectations of students
regardless of their background or priorachievement, and will provide them with thenecessary support to meet those expectations;Students will have a richer school
experience, both academic and nonacademic, so that they can excel in life.
There will be more project and group-based
work to develop students’ higher-order thinking
skills and ability to work both independently andcollaboratively in groups. There will be morecommunity-based projects and cross-school
activities to foster interaction with individuals
from all walks of life. There will be more
opportunities for students to learn at their own
pace and to pursue their interests in academic,
vocational or technical streams; andStudents will have greater say in shaping
their learning experience. Teachers will workwith them and their parents to set their own
learning targets. Teachers will also encouragethem to be advocates for themselves so thatteachers understand what learning styles work
best for each of them.
In return, students will be asked to try their bestat all times and to work collaboratively with theirteachers to reduce disruptive classroom
behaviour. All students will have the collective
responsibility to help make their school safe andconducive to learning.

Teachers will have the support they need tosucceed. They will have access to more
school-based professional development
opportunities. They will participate inconstructive feedback discussions and dialoguethat focus not on blame and punishment, but onlearning and development so that areas for
improvement can become areas of strength;
Teachers will enjoy better working
conditions, performance-based rewards
and enhanced pathways. They will work inschools with adequate facilities and appropriate
working conditions. They will have a reduced
administrative burden so that they can focus
their energy on their core activities of teaching
and learning. They will enjoy exciting
performance-based rewards including fastercareer progression and can develop theirinterests along distinct pathways: teaching,leadership, and subject specialism; andTeachers will be immersed in a culture ofcollaboration and professional excellence.
They will collaborate with one another to tackle
issues and share best practices. They will havegreater pedagogical flexibility in the classroom intheir quest to ensure that every student learns.
In return, teachers will be asked to stay open tolearning and to new ways of working, to involve
parents and students in the learning process,and to model the mindsets, values andbehaviours expected of students.

Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025
Executive Summary

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School leaders

Ministry officials

Parents

School leaders will become excellent
instructional leaders, and act asagents for change. They will enjoy
closer support and enhanced services
from federal, state, and district
education officers. They will gain
access to world-class leadershiptraining, as well as best practices fromtheir peers in Malaysia.

Ministry officials will develop as change
leaders, with the skills and attributes
needed to support schools. They will
become better managers, coaches, andsupporters of school excellence. They
will benefit from greater meritocracy,
greater empowerment withaccountability, and will move awayfrom hierarchy and control.

School leaders will have the support andresources they need to guide their schools
effectively. They will receive better preparatory,
induction, and ongoing training to help themdevelop their leadership skills. They will see
improved responsiveness from PPDs on issues
they face, from deployment of principal coaches
to the provision of additional resources if theschool is in greater need;

Ministry officials will receive targeted
support, training, and resources needed tofulfill their new roles and responsibilities.
They will have new roles focused on supporting
schools, and have access to more professional
development opportunities. They will participate
in constructive feedback discussions that focus
not on blame and punishment, but on learningand development;

Parents will see tangible and sustained
improvements in the educational
experiences of their children. There
will be increased transparency arounda school’s performance and priorities,
and parents will be constantly kept in
the loop as to how their child is doingat school, both in terms ofachievements and areas fordevelopment. Parents will feel like true
partners with schools in facilitating
their child’s learning.

School leaders will enjoy better working
conditions and performance-based
rewards. Principals, assistant principals as wellas subject and department heads will work inschools with adequate facilities and have a
reduced administrative burden so that they canfocus their energy on instructional leadership.
They will enjoy exciting performance-based
rewards including faster career progression and“extra credit” for successful deployment inunder-performing rural schools; andMinistry officials will work in a collaborative
and transparent environment. Silos between
divisions will be broken down, and roles andresponsibilities will be streamlined to eliminate
duplication of functions and activities. Information
will be shared efficiently to allow for evidencebased decisions. There will be greater clarity
about how decisions are made; andSchool leaders will be empowered throughgreater school-based management. They
will have operational flexibility commensuratewith their school’s performance on matters suchas curriculum timetabling and budget allocation.
They will enter into a professional partnershipwith their PPDs, with input into their school’s
annual performance targets, and will enjoy
greater transparency with regard to decisions
affecting their school.
In return, school leaders will be asked to perform
to the high expectations set and agreed to for
their school. They will need to stay open to new
ways of working, to involve the community inschool improvement, and to serve as coaches
and trainers to build capabilities in their staff aswell as for other schools.

Ministry officials will receive greater
operational flexibility and accountability. The
system will move towards decentralisation withmore decision rights being awarded to state anddistrict offices. Officials will have more say inidentifying areas of improvement for their states,
districts, and schools, and in tailoring solutions to
specific contexts.
In return, Ministry officials will be asked to stay
open to feedback from schools and from thecommunity. They will champion the changes thesystem is about to undergo. They will need to behighly responsive in providing schools with thesupport and resources they need, as well as tokeep all internal and external stakeholders wellinformed.

Parents will have a better understanding of
how their children are developing, and how
they can help them improve. They will haveregular contact with their children’s teachers,
not just when there is a problem. They will havefull visibility and access to their children’s
performance on national examinations andschool-based assessments. They will get
guidance, from parenting tips to adult education
classes, on how to best support their children’s
learning and development; andParents will have more opportunities toprovide input into their school’s
improvement strategies. They have the rightto be fully informed about the school’s mission,
current performance, and annual improvement
programme. They will be able to, via their PIBG,
provide input on matters such as teacher andcurriculum quality. They will feel welcomed andvalued for their commitment to their children andto the school.
In return, parents will be asked to support theirchildren in meeting their learning potential (forexample, ensuring that they complete their
homework and attend school on time), and tomodel commitment, engagement, andopenness for their children. Parents will need tocommunicate input and concerns to schools ina constructive manner and actively participate inactivities at school.

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higher-income families who can afford more will receive
significantly less aid. Funding that would otherwise havebeen spent on these programmes will be reallocated to theareas with the greatest impact on student outcomes, namely
teacher training and upskilling. An initial RM1 billion in
operational expenditure for the period of 2013-2015 has
been identified for saving and reallocation, and a review ofdevelopment expenditure is still ongoing.

Shift 11: Increase transparency fordirect public accountability
Why is it needed?: The GTP and economictransformation programmes signalled a fundamental
shift in the way the Government made itself
accountable to the rakyat, anything less is now
deemed unacceptable. This was reinforced during
the National Dialogue where stakeholders frequently
stressed the need for the Ministry to engage andcommunicate more with the public on types andprogress of initiatives being undertaken and the results
being delivered.

What will success look like?: All stakeholders will
have access to regular and transparent information
about the Ministry’s progress against the blueprint.
This information will enable them to engage in aconstructive dialogue with the Ministry on existing andforthcoming initiatives, and to get involved in their local
community school or the broader education system,as outlined in Shift 9. This will lead not only to an
informed and empowered populace, but also a moreaccountable and responsive way of policy-making in
the Ministry.
Publish an annual public report on progress against
Blueprint targets, starting from the year 2013. The
Ministry will publish an annual report on the progress madeagainst each initiative outlined in the Blueprint. Where
relevant, this will also include clear explanations of how
KPIs like the NKRA school performance band have been
calculated, and ongoing efforts to improve how the systemmeasures success. All stakeholders will enjoy a degree oftransparency that has never before existed.
Conduct comprehensive stock-takes in 2015, 2020
and 2025. The Ministry will undertake a stock-take at key
milestones in the Blueprint journey. As part of this stocktake, all stakeholders will be able to provide input through a
National Dialogue process on what is or is not working wellwithin the system, and what the Ministry could do about thesituation. Thirteen years is a long timeframe, during whichchanges to the overarching strategy or specific initiatives arelikely to be required. If major policy decisions are required
during a non-stock-take year, the Ministry will conduct anational survey to gather input from relevant parties.

Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025
Executive Summary

EXHIBIT 9

The education transformation will take place over 13 years
Wave 1 (2013-2015)
Turn around system by supporting
teachers and focusing on core skills

Wave 3 (2021-2025)
Move towards excellence withincreased operational flexibility

Wave 2 (2016-2020)
Accelerate system improvement▪

Raising teaching standards through tailored on-the-groundteacher coaching, particularly in core subjects (Bahasa
Malaysia, English Language, Mathematics and Science)▪

Rolling out secondary (KSSM) and revised
primary (KSSR) curriculum to raise content andlearning standards to international benchmarks▪

Increasing public interest and awareness in
STEM through campaigns and partnerships

Scaling up innovations and options tocontinuously raise BM and English language
proficiency and providing more choices ofadditional languages▪

Revamping examination questions to include greater
focus on higher-order thinking skills

▪

▪

▪

Piloting options to increase English language
exposure, and strengthening additional language
provision to improve overall language proficiency

Rolling out ICT innovations and programmes forgroups with specific needs to continuously raiselearning standards nationally▪

Strengthen quality of STEM education through anenhanced curriculum, the testing and training of teachers,
and the use of blended learning models▪

▪

Rolling out National-type school Bahasa Malaysia
Primary School Standard Curriculum designed forstudents whose mother tongue is not Bahasa Malaysia▪

Enhancing programmes for groups withspecific needs such as indigenous and otherminority groups, gifted, and special needs

Cultivating a peer-led culture of professional
excellence, where teachers and principals mentor
one another, share best practices and hold peers
accountable for meeting professional standards▪

Strengthening English language proficiency throughtesting and retraining of teachers, expansion of LINUS andremedial support as well as blended learning models▪

Accelerating ICT innovations especially for
distance and self-paced learning▪

Creating greater school-based management andautonomy around curriculum implementation andbudget allocation for most, if not all schools▪

Rolling out 1BestariNet to all schools to integrate ICT into
day-to-day learning▪

▪

Strengthening the Ministry and institutionalisingtransformation with enhanced career progression
for Ministry officials▪

Rolling out District Transformation Programme, focusedon under-performing schools, including those for students
with specific needs, to accelerate school improvement

Enhancing teacher coaching and support toimprove delivery of knowledge, skills, and values
across all academic and non-academic aspects ofcurriculum▪

▪

Reviewing school structure to determine if further
optimisation of pathways and schooling options arenecessary▪

Revamping the IPG and pre-service training, and raisingentry standards for new teachers

Enhancing competency and performancebased progressions and career pathways forteachers to revitalise the teaching profession▪

▪

Rolling out dedicated principal coaches for Band 5,6 and 7
schools and enhanced selection criteria for principals toimprove quality of school leadership

Strengthening core divisions, streamlining
federal, state and district roles, andrestructuring the Ministry to improve delivery
capacity and capabilities▪

Transforming the Ministry by placing the best leaders inpivotal JPN and PPD positions to improve delivery▪

Obtaining international accreditation andenhancing curriculum for the matriculation
programme to better equip students for university▪

Increasing preschool and secondary school enrolment
through enrolment drives, greater parental involvement, andbetter vocational programmes▪

Expanding vocational education options throughoff-take agreements with private vocational
providers▪

Enhancing practicum in vocational programmes throughgreater private sector collaboration▪

Malaysia’s performance at par with international
average at the next TIMSS and PISA cycle▪

Malaysia’s performance on TIMSS andPISA in top third of systems▪

100% preschool to secondary enrolment▪

Maintain or improve enrolment▪

50% reduction in the urban-rural gap, 25% reductionin the socio-economic and gender gap▪

Maintain or improve urban-rural gap, 50%
reduction in the socio-economic andgender gaps

Key outcomes▪

100% students literate in bahasa Malaysia and numerate
after 3 years of schooling; target for English literacy to be
determined after baseline is established▪

92% preschool, 98% primary, 95% secondary enrolment▪

25% reduction in the urban-rural gap

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E-39

Sequencing thetransformation
The envisaged reform is broad and complex. Consequently,
many initiatives have been developed as part of the reform.
While each individual initiative is important and meaningful,it is critical to streamline and sequence them so that thesystem is not overtaxed and execution fatigue is avoided.
Common to all successful transformations in the private
and public sectors is the prioritisation of some areas of
improvement, sometimes at the expense of others. Thisprioritisation is driven both by the system’s starting point
as well as international evidence on the factors that makethe most difference in improving student outcomes. Given
the need to build the system’s capacity and capability
successively, the Ministry has sequenced the transformation
to occur in three waves (Exhibit 9 ).
▪▪ Wave 1 (2013-2015): Turn around system bysupporting teachers and focusing on core skills.
The Ministry’s focus during this phase will be on delivering
a rapid turnaround programme. During this period, thefocus will be on raising teaching quality by upskilling theexisting pool of teachers, raising school leadership quality
by improving how the education system appoints andtrains principals, and improving student literacy (in bothBahasa Malaysia and English language) and numeracy
through intensive remedial programmes. The Ministry
will also strengthen and empower state and district offices
to improve the quality of frontline support provided toall schools. By the end of Wave 1, the Ministry will ensurethat all teachers, principals, and schools have achieved aminimum quality standard.
▪▪ Wave 2 (2016-2020): Accelerate system
improvement. During the second wave, the Ministry willroll out structural changes aimed at accelerating the paceof change (planning for all these initiatives will likely need
to begin during Wave 1). These include moving all 410,000
teachers and 10,000 principals onto a new career package,
restructuring the federal, state, and district offices to alignwith the revised roles laid out in Wave 1, and introducing
a standard secondary and revised primary curriculum that
addresses concerns regarding the knowledge, skills, andvalues needed to thrive in today’s global economy.
▪▪ Wave 3 (2021-2025): Move towards excellencewith increased operational flexibility. By the start of
the third wave, all schools, teachers, and principals shouldbe performing well above the minimum standard. As such,
the Ministry will focus on increasing operational flexibility
to cultivate a peer-led culture of professional excellence.
The Ministry will also move most, if not all schools, onto aschool-based management model, and scale up successfulmodels of instructional innovation. The goal is to create
a self-sustaining system that is capable of innovating andtaking achievements to greater heights.

Delivering the Roadmap
The Malaysian education system will need to undergo
a complete transformation if it is to meet the ambitious
aspirations set out in this Blueprint. This is a task of greatcomplexity in both breadth and depth, particularly given thatmost education system reforms around the world have fallen
short of their aspirations. Of the 55 school systems that took
part in PISA 2000, only 12 have managed to demonstrate
improvements in student outcomes over time—the rest either
stagnated, or fell behind. This track record is not dissimilar tothat of corporations undergoing major transformations—only
one third is successful.
The Ministry has carefully reviewed international andnational evidence to identify what the Ministry would needto do differently to deliver significant, sustainable, andwidespread results. Based on this research, the Government
and the Ministry are committed to the following actions:▪▪ Sustaining leadership commitment and focus
at the top: Top Government and Ministry leadership,including the Prime Minister and the Minister of
Education, are committed to regularly reviewing progress,
providing guidance, and resolving issues with regard toMalaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025
Executive Summary

the Blueprint. The Ministry leadership is also committed
to identifying, cultivating and developing the leadershipcapabilities of the next generation of system leaders toensure continuity and consistency of the transformation
efforts.
▪▪ Establishing a small, high-powered delivery unit todrive Blueprint delivery: The Ministry has establishedthe Education Performance and Delivery Unit (PADU)
to drive delivery of all Blueprint initiatives across the
Ministry and schools. Specifically, PADU will monitor
progress, problem-solve implementation issues with the
responsible officers, and manage communication withstakeholders with regard to the transformation. PADU willdraw from both the public and private sector to secure thebest talent available.
▪▪ Intensifying internal and external performance
management: Successful school reforms go beyond
programme design to dramatically improve theeffectiveness and efficiency of the Ministry of Education
itself. As such, the Ministry will establish a performance
management system that sets high expectations ofindividuals through clear KPIs. This system will invest
in capability building to help individuals achieve theirtargets, reward strong performance, and address poor
performance without creating a culture of blame. The
Ministry will also publish performance results annually sothat the public can track progress on the Blueprint.

E-40

Gains will be delivered
within the first YEAR
of implementation
The Malaysian education system is entering an intensive
period of change. Transformation of an education systemtakes time and some of the most significant results ofthese changes, such as improvements in performance oninternational assessments, will only be visible a few years
down the road. Nonetheless, over the next twelve months,
the public can expect to see significant changes in the way
the system is run. These changes will form the foundation for
future results. Exhibit 10 (page E-43) offers a sampling ofwhat to expect over the coming months.
Malaysian education stands at a crossroads, and theMinistry, taking the voices of the rakyat to heart, has chosen
the more difficult, but ultimately more rewarding path.
However, the Malaysian education system can only fulfil its
ambitious aspirations through the continued support andcommitment of all stakeholders. This Blueprint is a chance
to carve out a brighter, bolder future for all Malaysian
children—an ambitious mandate, but an inspiring one. It is
the responsibility of every single Malaysian to work towards
making these aspirations a reality, and it is only through all
stakeholders working together that all Malaysian children will
get the future they truly deserve.

▪▪ Engaging Ministry officials and otherstakeholders: The Blueprint development process was
unprecedented in its attempt to engage and secure theinput of the rakyat and the system’s biggest constituents:
parents, students, teachers, principals and Ministry
officials. As the Blueprint initiatives are rolled out, theMinistry will continue to solicit feedback from theseparties and will regularly communicate progress toensure that the entire education system is engaged in thetransformation process.

Image by esharkj, Flickr CC 2.0

E-41

Overview of Blueprint chapters▪▪ Chapter 6 looks at how the Ministry itself will develop inorder to best implement the policies and initiatives laid out
in this Blueprint, including by transforming the Ministry’s▪▪ Chapter 1 lays out the objectives and approach behind thefundamental approach to human resources and finances todevelopment of the Blueprint;
improve delivery capacity and resource productivity. This▪▪ Chapter 2 outlines a set of new aspirations for the overall
encompasses the initiatives raised in Shifts 6, 7, 8 and 10;
Malaysian education system, including aspirations for▪▪ Chapter 7 examines the structure of the system, andevery Malaysian child;focuses on the phases of education, creating more varied▪▪ Chapter 3 contains the detailed analyses on Malaysian
educational pathways to address a broader spectrum of
student outcomes and establishes the current performance
student interests and abilities, developing values amongof the education system;
students, developing preschools, and better engaging
with parents, local communities and the private sector. It▪▪ Chapter 4 examines student learning in the Malaysian
includes initiatives from Shifts 1, 3 and 9;
education system, looking at solutions to effect thechanges necessary for the stated aspirations to be▪▪ Chapter 8 outlines the overall transformationachieved. It includes initiatives from Shifts 1, 2 and 6
programmes, including the sequencing of initiatives
related to curriculum and assessment, strengthening of
between 2013 and 2025 with the ultimate objective of
language skills, strengthening of STEM education, school
improving student outcomes, raising the professional
improvement interventions, and education for students
quality of teachers and school leaders, and revamping thewith specific needs;
structures of the Ministry and the education system. This
chapter includes initiatives from Shift 11 to ensure that the▪▪ Chapter 5 explores the roles of teachers and school
Blueprint delivery is a success;leaders as the frontline of the Malaysian education system,with a focus on how to improve the quality of and support
provided to teachers and school leaders. It addresses
initiatives raised in Shifts 4 and 5;
There are eight chapters and eight appendices in theBlueprint:

Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025
Executive Summary▪▪ Appendix I provides a brief overview of the major
developments in the education system since the British
Colonial period;▪▪ Appendix II details the methodology used in developing
the Blueprint, including different sources of inputs drawn
from external experts such as UNESCO, OECD and local
universities, to the results of the 2012 National Dialogue
and through pre-Blueprint memorandums;▪▪ Appendix III maps out how key issues raised during
the National Dialogue and through pre-Blueprint
memorandums have been addressed in the Blueprint;▪▪ Appendix IV lists the memorandums on the preliminary
Blueprint that were submitted to the Ministry;▪▪ Appendix V explains the methodology behind the“Universal Scale” used in Chapter 3;▪▪ Appendix VI details all major Blueprint initiatives acrosseach wave of reform;▪▪ Appendix VII highlights the initiatives that have been
folded into the GTP 2.0 NKRA on Education; and▪▪ Appendix VIII highlights the initiatives under the ETP
Education National Key Economic Area (NKEA).

Integration with the “National Higher Education Strategic Plan”
The Ministry is also in the process of reviewing the 2007-2020 National Higher Education Strategic Plan
(hereafter referred to as the Plan). The Plan covers the post-secondary education and life long learning
ecosystem, which encompasses community colleges, polytechnics and universities in both the public andprivate sector. The review commenced at the start of 2013 and will both assess progress of the Plan to date,as well as consider areas for enhancement in order to account for changes in the global and local higher
education landscape. The Plan will also integrate its thrusts and critical action projects with relevant themes
and initiatives from the Blueprint to ensure a seamless transition for youth from the basic to higher education
system.
Note: In 2013, the Ministries of Education and Higher Education were merged into a single entity, theMinistry of Education.

E-42

E-43

EXHIBIT 10

Early results within the coming 12 months

Early results within the coming 12 months
61,000 English
teachers assessedagainstinternationallyrecognised CPT

LINUS 2.0
(including English
literacy) rolled out toall primary schools

Teacher
recruitment bar
raised and enforced
at IPG and IPTA

Dec 2012
352 SISC+ and 71
SIPartner+
introduced in Kedahand Sabah toprovide teachers andprincipals in Band 5,
6 and 7 schools with
tailored, on-theground training

410,000 teachers
assessed via “unified
instrument”
50% reduction inBand 6 and 7
schools in Kedahand SabahDec 2013
Parentengagement
toolkit launched
and rolled out toall 10,000
schools to equip
parents to bettersupportchildren’s
learning

100% of schools haveinternet connection of atleast 4Mbps through1BestariNet

20% of examquestions test
higher-order thinking
skills100% of English option
teachers who were
below proficiency levelto undergo upskillingand improve their CPT
grade

10 new IB schools
and 18 HPS
All 1,608 schools
requiring critical
repairs fixed