Education Minister should step down over PISA performance drop, says Bersama

Bersama, a coalition of education policy advocates, has demanded that Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek resign over Malaysia's deteriorating performance in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests.

A spokesperson for the group highlighted that scores in the 2025 assessment have fallen substantially compared to the 2018 results, signalling a worsening trajectory in student learning outcomes across the country.

The PISA test, administered by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), measures the competencies of 15-year-old students in reading, mathematics, and science across dozens of nations. Malaysia's participation in the assessment provides a benchmark for comparing educational standards with other countries in the region and globally.

Bersama's call for ministerial accountability reflects broader concerns about the effectiveness of current education policies and their impact on student achievement. The coalition's statement suggests that the declining scores represent a policy failure requiring leadership change at the ministry level.

The Education Ministry has not yet responded to the resignation call. The performance data comes as Malaysia continues efforts to reform its education system and improve competitiveness in regional rankings.