Diagnostic screening plan for 6-year-olds to enter Year 1 scrapped, says PM

2026-01-27 - 04:04

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said there were concerns about the psychological effects on children deemed ineligible to enrol in Year 1 at age six. (Bernama pic) KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced in Dewan Rakyat today that the education ministry would not proceed with the proposed diagnostic screening for six-year-olds seeking enrolment in Year 1. He said the decision followed a review by the ministry. “We felt that it could be discriminatory, as some children might be deemed ineligible, which could have psychological effects on them. “Therefore, it was decided that the assessment would not be implemented, and I agreed with this decision,” he said during the Prime Minister’s Question Time. Anwar was responding to a supplementary question from Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Muda-Muar), who asked whether the diagnostic assessment should be reviewed, noting that children who fail the screening would have to postpone their school enrolment by a year. The Muar MP also highlighted a Unesco report warning against screening tests that separate slower-learning children from faster-learning peers at an early age. MORE TO COME