KUALA SELANGOR: Selangor PKR Youth chief Izuan Kasim has come to the defense of Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek amidst criticism from former deputy education minister Dr Puad Zarkashi following the recent release of a World Bank report.

Puad had suggested that Fadhlina spend a night in a longhouse in response to the World Bank report, which revealed which revealed that Malaysian students' lag behind their Vietnamese counterparts.

Izuan clarified that the current issues in education cannot be solely attributed to Fadhlina's leadership, which began just over a year ago. Instead, he highlighted legacy issues stemming from previous leadership, in which Puad was involved, which have contributed to the current educational challenges.

The World Bank report highlighted that Malaysian students spend approximately 12.5 years in school but receive educational outcomes equivalent to only 8.9 years of learning.

This systemic issue has persisted for some time and was present during Puad's leadership at the Ministry of Education, said Izuan.

"However, Fadhlina has dared to initiate change, even before the release of the World Bank report. She has introduced mandatory secondary education for 11 years, a step not taken under Puad's and previous ministers' administrations," he said.

Furthermore, Fadhlina has expanded preschool implementation to ensure Malaysian students have more learning time compared to previous years, he said.

These bold actions within a year of assuming the Education Ministry post have contrasted sharply with Puad's tenure from 2009 to 2011, during which similar reforms were not pursued, he added.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/04/1044667/fadhlina-solved-education-legacy-issues-within-one-year