Early schooling may be premature, warn Bintulu public

BINTULU (Jan 21): The government has been urged to exercise caution in allowing six-year-old children to enter Year One, with concerns raised that the move may be premature and potentially detrimental to children’s long-term development.

Chieng Hok Kon, 44, said that although the policy is optional, its implications must be carefully considered, as many children continue to struggle academically even at the age of seven despite having attended several years of preschool and kindergarten.

“Many children have already undergone three to four years of early education, yet some seven-year-olds still find it difficult to keep up with the primary school curriculum.

“This makes the situation even more worrying for six-year-old children,” he said when commenting on recent education policy announcements.

From a developmental perspective, Chieng noted that many six-year-olds still require improvement in self-care skills and emotional regulation, which could affect teachers’ teaching progress and indirectly impact other pupils in the same classroom.

“Education should be gradual and step by step. Strengthening preschool and early childhood education should come first, instead of pushing children to learn content that does not match their developmental stage. Otherwise, it risks becoming a form of forced growth,” he said.

Chieng, whose eldest child is currently in Year Four, warned that early exposure to age-inappropriate education could have long-term consequences.

“Completing studies or entering society one year earlier makes little difference, but being pushed into formal education too early may affect a child throughout their primary and secondary schooling,” he said.

Commenting on the government’s decision to introduce an assessment examination for Year Four pupils, Chieng said he agreed in principle but felt the implementation was too abrupt.

“The announcement was made yesterday (Tuesday) and will be implemented within the same year. This puts pressure on teachers, parents and students, especially those currently in Year Four. A one-year transition period would have been more reasonable,” he said.

While acknowledging that examination results are not everything, he stressed that appropriate assessments remain necessary to gauge students’ learning levels, particularly at the secondary school stage.

“With the removal of PMR (Penilaian Menengah Rendah) and PT3 (Pentaksiran Tingkatan 3), some students may only start taking their studies seriously in Form 4 or Form 5 when facing SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia).

“By then, it may be too late, as SPM plays a major role in determining future education and career opportunities,” he said.

Chieng also expressed hope that a Form 3 assessment could be reintroduced in a more holistic and modern format, assessing not only academics but also co-curricular involvement, character and conduct.

Meanwhile, Marus Kamaruddin, 42, called for a balanced approach in implementing early schooling policies and assessments, highlighting concerns over children’s emotional readiness and parental pressures.

He said children develop at different rates and should not be expected to mature uniformly, particularly in terms of psychological and emotional preparedness.

“Some children are ready for formal learning early, while others still need time to adjust,” he said, adding that delayed school entry could also result in age gaps and disparities in academic achievement.

Marus noted that although early enrolment into Year One is optional, many parents face a dilemma due to the high costs of private kindergartens for children aged three or four.

On the introduction of Year Four assessments, he said he was generally supportive but expressed concern over potential emotional strain on pupils.

“There is worry among parents about preparation, emotional stress, excessive anxiety and the tendency for children to focus solely on examinations,” he said, adding that assessments should balance activity-based evaluation with enjoyable learning methods to safeguard students’ emotional well-being.

Under the initiative, parents will be given the option to enrol their six-year-old children into Year One on a voluntary basis starting in 2027.

The move was among the key measures announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during the launch of the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2026-2035 on Tuesday.

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the initiative, which has been implemented in several countries, aims to address long-term workforce needs and challenges associated with an ageing population. However, she stressed that it would not be carried out hastily.

“The Education Ministry is providing parents with the choice to enrol children who are ready to begin primary education earlier,” she said, adding that readiness would be determined through a diagnostic screening assessment set by the ministry.

Fadhlina also clarified that there would be no changes to the existing schooling structure, with primary education remaining at six years, followed by five years of secondary education, and students completing upper secondary at the age of 16.

She added that the ministry is expanding preschool classes nationwide and planning additional classrooms, infrastructure and teachers to ensure the initiative can be implemented smoothly.