The Education Ministry held talks with private kindergarten operators to prepare for enrolling six-year-olds in Year 1 from 2027 under the new curriculum.

NIBONG TEBAL: The Ministry of Education has held a stakeholder engagement session with private kindergarten operators. The meeting discussed strategies for enrolling six-year-old children into Year 1 from 2027.

This move aligns with the introduction of the new national school curriculum. Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the session aimed to gather feedback to ensure smooth policy implementation.

She stated that private kindergarten operators overall expressed support for the initiative. They described it as a move to strengthen early childhood education foundations.

“However, the ministry has taken into account several concerns raised,” Fadhlina said. She highlighted particular concerns regarding the coordination of the transition from kindergarten to primary school.

“MOE takes all feedback seriously and will examine the issues in detail,” she told a press conference. The goal is to identify the best possible solutions for the policy change.

She added that the engagement reflects the ministry’s commitment to inclusive policy-making. The process aims to involve all stakeholders in shaping sustainable education policies.

Fadhlina confirmed the new school curriculum will be fully implemented in 2027. It will start for Year 1 and Form 1 students nationwide.

The new preschool curriculum was introduced this year. Earlier, the minister launched a nutrition initiative for Penang’s preschool students.

This involved distributing 145,000 free Farm Fresh Grow UHT milk packs. The programme aims to support children’s nutrition and development.

 The Sun Malaysia