By Selangor Journal Team
SHAH ALAM, Nov 11 – If all goes to plan, secondary education is set to become compulsory for all Malaysian children soon.
This is going by a written parliamentary reply from Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, who confirmed her ministry had prepared a draft bill to amend the Education Act 1996 to this end.
The amendment, if approved, will see mandatory schooling be increased from the current six years to 11 years.
“The proposal to extend the compulsory schooling years, among others, is to ensure every Malaysian child receives equal educational opportunities to develop their respective potential up to the secondary level,” she said in her reply yesterday.
To finetune the draft bill, Fadhlina said the ministry has taken various initiatives, including conducting engagements with stakeholders from other ministries and government agencies.
“The bill will be tabled in Parliament after obtaining approval from all levels of decision-makers, including the Cabinet,” she said
She was responding to a question from Puchong MP Yeo Bee Yin, who wanted to know if the Education Ministry intends to amend the Act to extend mandatory schooling to at least a minimum of nine years.
Previously in March, Fadhlina told the Dewan Negara the ministry had already submitted a draft proposal to the Attorney-General’s Chambers to make secondary education compulsory.
The move is meant to ensure no student drop outs at both the primary and secondary levels.
Presently, Section 29A(2) of the Education Act stipulates that parents must only send their children to attend primary school lessons for six years, failing which they could be fined up to RM5,000 or jailed not exceeding six months.
