KUALA LUMPUR: There are plans to streamline the syllabus and curriculum at all preschools and kindergartens nationwide, including those operated by the private sector and other public agencies, the Dewan Rakyat was told.

Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh called on kindergartens and preschools to take the initiative to register with the ministry to enable them to utilise the syllabus or curriculum provided by the ministry.

"This is because the ministry’s syllabus represents the mainstream education stream and helps pupils to transition smoothly into primary school and Year One," he said in response to a supplementary question from Salamiah Mohd Nor (PN-Temerloh) during the oral question session here, Wednesday (Nov 20).

Wong said the engagement sessions had already been held with Community Development Department (Kemas) kindergartens, which are currently under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry.

"Earlier this year, we initiated efforts to standardise the curriculum, teaching staff, and teacher qualifications for Kemas kindergartens so they can fall under the broader umbrella of the ministry.

"Pasti kindergartens operated by PAS are still not registered with the ministry and do not adhere to the existing curriculum.

“We hope that engagement sessions will ensure that Pasti’s curriculum is aligned and complies with the ministry," he added.

Wong said the ministry is actively restructuring the preschool system and intervening in the curriculum to address learning gaps among children.

As such, he said preschool classes would be expanded across all educational institutions under the ministry to tackle issues such as student dropouts and improve literacy and numeracy skills from an early stage.

Wong said this in response to the original question from Aminolhuda Hassan (PH-Sri Gading) on the new syllabus set to be implemented by 2027.

He said the Curriculum Intervention Task Force, one of the groups under the Education Reform initiative, is responsible for narrowing the learning gaps among pupils.

"One of the initiatives under the Curriculum Intervention is the Early Detection of Literacy and Numeracy among Year One pupils.

"This assessment is conducted during the first three months of Year One to identify pupils who have not yet mastered reading, writing, and arithmetic skills.

"This process enables us to identify pupils who are struggling with literacy and numeracy early on, so appropriate interventions can be implemented," he said.

Wong stressed that the new curriculum set to be implemented in 2027 prioritises literacy and numeracy as main focuses of the primary school Year One curriculum.

"This focus ensures pupils acquire the skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic before progressing to Year Two. Pupils must master literacy and numeracy to be ready for learning at higher levels.

"Progress reviews will be conducted to ensure pupils achieve literacy and numeracy competencies. Those who have not yet mastered these skills will receive appropriate interventions to prevent them from falling behind in their education," he added.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/11/20/education-ministry-plans-to-streamline-kindergarten-preschool-syllabus-nationwide