Complacency must not hamper education reforms, says Anwar

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the “culture of complacency” within the country’s education system should not impede reforms.

In a Facebook post, he said the National Education Council was formed to drive comprehensive reforms in the country’s education system and to ensure that it keeps up with current demands, including through improvements to content and curriculum.

“A culture of complacency with the existing system must not hinder progress,” he said.

“More importantly, there must be readiness to change, the courage to reform, and a continued commitment to improving the quality of the national education system.”

Anwar said the council would also play a role in strengthening English proficiency as a second language without neglecting Malaysia’s values, culture, morals and the national language.

Anwar, who chaired the National Education Council’s first meeting of the year tonight, said it discussed the direction of the nation’s education across all levels.

He said discussions focused on efforts to elevate the quality of education at the district level, empower the Bumiputera education agenda, as well as build a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) talent pipeline to meet the future needs of the country.

“The nation’s education must be evaluated objectively, guided by the views and expertise of various parties to ensure that every step taken truly prepares the future generation,” he said.