New education blueprint - salient points

Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin unveiled the country's new education blueprint today, a process which began in October last year when the government embarked on a national dialogue with the aim of revamping the education system.

Below are the salient points from the blueprint. Members of the public will be able to view the blueprint during open days in the next three months. The final plan will be presented to cabinet in December.

Language

• All Year 1 to Year 3 students to undergo Literacy and Numeracy screening (Linus) twice a year in both English and Bahasa Malaysia (currently Linus tests are done only for BM).

• After-school remedial classes for Years 4-6 (to phase out 'remove' classes for those with problems with English and BM after Year 6 by 2017).

• All English teachers must pass Cambridge placement tests within the next two years.

• Accelerated pathway for high performers: 5 years (instead of 6) for UPSR and 4 years (instead of 5) for SPM.

• Benchmark mathematics and science tests on the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) and Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (Timss).

• 11 years of compulsory schooling (up from 6 years). By 2020, all school leavers have SPM or equivalent qualifications.

• All special needs students in equipped special schools by 2025.

• Each child to learn a third language by 2025 (starting with Chinese, Tamil and Arabic). Spanish, French and Japanese will be offered later.

Values

• Each student must take part in community service.

• Some Moral Studies and Islamic Studies lessons will be conducted jointly, where there are shared values. Islamic Studies will focus on core Islamic values and the core values of other religions.

• Include private school students in Rancangan Integrasi Murid Untuk Perpaduan (RIMUP)

Teaching

• Raise entry bar to teachers' training, with the aim of having only the top 30 percent of graduates become teachers by 2013.

• Teachers to be assessed annually by principals, with input likely by peers and parents.

• Fast track careers; high performers can be promoted from DG41 grade to DG54 in 25 years.

• Those who underperform to be redeployed to non-teaching tasks like co-curricular activities, discipline or administration.

• High-performing principals for rural or low-performing schools.

• Teachers to do less administrative work and more teaching.

Schools

• Greater flexibility to schools for budget allocations and implementation of curriculum, starting from high-performing schools.

• 100 percent schools to have basic infrastructure by 2015 (starting with Sabah and Sarawak)

ICT

• 4G Internet for all schools by 2013 for paedagogy.

Ministry

• 2,500 staff members moved from state education departments and the head office to district education departments.

Parents

• Parents can access online monitoring of students' progress.

• 500 more Trust schools.

Transparency

• Annual report to gauge if blueprint targets have been met, starting 2013, be available for public consumption.

• Comprehensive review of the blueprint in 2015, 2020 and 2025.

Funds

• Focus funds on critical areas, like teacher training and cutting funds to non-critical programmes.