Education experts urge focus on teaching quality in RM69 billion budget

A coalition of education advocates has urged the Ministry of Education to redirect focus toward teaching and learning initiatives as the government allocates RM69 billion to the sector, emphasizing that quality instruction should take precedence over facility improvements.

The Parents' Action Group for Education highlighted growing concerns that students across Malaysian schools are falling behind in mastering basic competencies in reading, writing, and mathematics. The organization stressed that these fundamental gaps require targeted academic interventions rather than investments primarily directed toward school infrastructure and amenities.

The group's position reflects broader debate within Malaysia's education sector about budget allocation priorities. While physical school facilities play an important role in the learning environment, advocates argue that direct support for classroom instruction and student remediation should command greater investment to address demonstrated deficiencies in core academic skills.

Education officials have not immediately responded to the advocacy group's recommendations regarding the proposed budget allocation. The call for rebalancing spending priorities comes as Malaysia continues efforts to improve overall education outcomes and competitiveness in regional and international assessments.