Six-year-olds not ready for rigorous Year One curriculum, says Sarawak activist

MIRI (Jan 21): While the Education Ministry’s move to lower the entry age for Year One pupils may be intended to align Malaysia’s educational system with international standards, its implementation in Sarawak risks harming children if critical issues are not addressed, said local activist Matassan Rohani.

In a statement, Matassan urged the Ministry of Education (MoE) to carefully reconsider the proposal to lower the entry age to six, warning that Sarawak schools are not yet ready to implement such a policy.

“Its implementation in Sarawak risks harming children if critical issues related to curriculum, infrastructure and teacher readiness are not addressed first,” he said.

Speaking as a father and community leader, Matassan expressed deep concern that lowering the entry age without reforming the existing syllabus would place unnecessary emotional pressure on young children.

“The main issue is not the age itself, but the heavy and academically demanding syllabus currently used in Year One,” he stressed.

“Six-year-old children learn best through play-based methods. Forcing them to sit for five to six hours a day with a rigid, content-heavy syllabus is a recipe for emotional burnout.

“We would be stealing their childhood in the name of academic performance,” he added.

Matassan also highlighted infrastructure constraints, citing schools in Miri as a clear example.

He noted that many schools in densely populated and newly developed areas are already overcrowded, with some operating double sessions.

“With the entry of six-year-olds, student numbers will increase sharply. Where will these children be placed? Are our classrooms, toilets and canteens sufficient, or will schools become overcrowded like sardine cans?” he questioned.

“Early enrolment without upgrading facilities would compromise students’ comfort and safety,” he emphasised.

On teacher readiness, Matassan pointed out that teaching six-year-olds requires different pedagogical skills and emotional management compared to teaching seven-year-olds.

“Are teachers going to be retrained properly, or will this be done on a ‘make-do’ basis?

“We must not allow teachers to burn out while trying to manage immature pupils and keep up with the syllabus at the same time,” he said.

He also raised concerns about the economic impact on parents, particularly those in the B40 and M40 groups, noting that earlier schooling would mean education-related costs such as fees, school supplies and transport begin a year sooner.

“This is an added burden, especially in Sarawak where the cost of living is already high,” he said.

Matassan cautioned against directly comparing Malaysia with countries such as Japan, the United Kingdom and Singapore, which he said have better facilities and lower teacher-to-student ratios.

“In some countries, the ratio can be as low as one teacher to 15 students.

“In Miri, a single class can have 35 to 40 pupils. Aligning timelines without aligning facilities is irresponsible,” he said.

Calling for state-level intervention, Matassan noted that while education falls under the Federal List, Sarawak still has administrative autonomy and financial capacity to protect its children.

Among his proposals were for the Sarawak government to invoke its powers under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) to request a delay in implementation until overcrowded and dilapidated schools are upgraded, to provide state funding for additional classrooms using pre-fabricated structures, and to appoint more student management assistants to support Year One teachers.

He also suggested strengthening Sarawak-owned education institutions such as SeDidik to introduce bridging programmes if the national curriculum is deemed too demanding for younger children.

“Sarawak supports educational progress, but we must be allowed to implement policies in ways that suit the realities on the ground,” he said.

“Our children are not factory products to be rushed through the system.

“Address the issues of school facilities, sanitation and teacher-student ratios first, before forcing such a major structural change,” he added.