Malaysia’s Education Blueprint, Rancangan Pendidikan Negara 2026–2035, was launched on 20 January 2026, replacing the National Education Blueprint of 2013-2025. This blueprint emphasises on building an education system that is high-quality, inclusive, and globally competitive, and introduces several changes, including:
Bahasa Melayu & Sejarah Requirement: All schools nationwide, including international, UEC-stream and religious schools, will be required to offer Bahasa Melayu and History as compulsory subjects for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.
Standard Four and Form Three Assessment: Pupils will be assessed in Bahasa Melayu, English, Science, and Mathematics in Year Four (2026), and in the same subjects plus History in Form Three (2027).
Lowering entry age for preschool and primary school: Preschool will begin at age five, and voluntary registration for Year One will be available for six year-olds, starting in 2027.
What are your thoughts on the blueprint?
Since Merdeka, Malaysia’s education system has undergone significant changes. The Razak Report of 1956 laid the foundation for a national education system focused on unity, inclusivity, and equal opportunity for all Malaysians. Over the years, significant reforms such as the Integrated Primary and Secondary School Curricula (KBSR and KBSM) laid the groundwork for a more holistic approach to learning. These then evolved into the Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah (KSSR) and Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Menengah (KSSM). The later curricula balanced academic achievement with values, skills, and character development while the establishment of Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) in 1997 sought to strengthen teacher education, professionalising educators and recognising their critical role as nation-builders.
With AI and climate change, today’s (and tomorrow’s) world demands new skillsets and mindsets.
Together with the Education Blueprint, the Malaysia Higher Education Plan (RPTM) 2026–2035 was also launched, with one of the most significant changes being the transfer of pre-university education which includes STPM, from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Higher Education to streamline the shift from secondary to tertiary level. Additionally, subjects covering the Federal Constitution and Malaysian history will be compulsory in all public and private universities starting this year.
Every education plan is launched with noble aims and objectives, and the task now falls onto the government, specifically the Ministries in charge, to ensure that the plans are implemented responsibly to prepare young Malaysians for the challenges ahead.
“Our education system must be structured to foster national unity, with a strong emphasis on the development of the national language”
– An excerpt of Tun Abdul Razak’s speech at the Opening of the Educational and Cultural Display for the Asian Regional Conference of the World Confederation of Organisations of the Teaching Profession, Chin Woo Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, 25th April, 1960.
Click here to explore PLF’s interactive timelines on Malaysia’s development plans and policies: https://www.perdana.org.my/pms-of-malaysia/visual-timelines/malaysia-development-plans-policies/
Access and download the Executive Summary of the Malaysia Education Blueprint via the link below:
https://bit.ly/3NlBPxx
