Picture Credit: Les Anderson
True education begins with reading, with or without paper qualification!
PUTRAJAYA: Nearly 28 per cent of the 448,113 Standard One pupils for the 2024/2025 academic session have not yet mastered reading, writing and counting (3M), said the Education Ministry today.
Its director-general Azman Adnan said the 122,062 pupils have been identified for the ministry's Literacy and Numeracy Intervention Programme through early screening conducted by teachers in July.
Of the 122,062 identified Standard One pupils, 62,928 have yet to master both literacy and numeracy.
"Specifically, 45,465 pupils have not yet mastered literacy, and 13,669 have not yet mastered numeracy," he told reporters during a media briefing on curriculum intervention today.
He said the intervention programme began last month, and the pupils would participate in the programme for a three-month period.
During the period, he said the pupils would receive guidance to ensure they become competent in literacy and numeracy.
"There are methods to ensure they can meet the minimum level required.
"Another assessment will be conducted after the three-month intervention. If they pass, they will move back to the mainstream class. If not, they will undergo another round of intervention.
He said the intervention programme began last month, and the pupils would participate in the programme for a three-month period.
During the period, he said the pupils would receive guidance to ensure they become competent in literacy and numeracy.
"There are methods to ensure they can meet the minimum level required.
"Another assessment will be conducted after the three-month intervention. If they pass, they will move back to the mainstream class. If not, they will undergo another round of intervention.
"We hope that, as is usually the case, when we conduct interventions over three months, the number of pupils needing further intervention will decrease, Insya-Allah (God willing)."
Azman said the number of pupils placed in the intervention classes depended on the suitability as determined by the school management and teachers.
Teachers are aware of the pupils' competencies in literacy, numeracy, or both.
"Usually, smaller groups make it easier for the pupils to receive guidance, helping them become more competent," he said.
He said pupils who did not master their literacy and numeracy even after the intervention would still advance to Standard Two.
"They will still progress to Standard Two for the new academic calendar, but we will strengthen their skills through further interventions to reinforce their abilities in the curriculum.
"At present, we have no policy to hold these pupils back from advancing to Standard Two and so on," he said.
In March, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek introduced the Literacy and Numeracy Intervention Programme for Standard One pupils as an early intervention measure for students who have not yet mastered the 3M.
She also announced that the curriculum alignment involved updating and restructuring the content of the existing subjects of Standard 1 Science, Mathematics, Bahasa Melayu and English.
On the curriculum alignment, Azman said it saw up to a 50 per cent reduction in syllabus density for Mathematics and Science subjects.
The Article appears here . . .
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/09/10/no-discrimination-in-education-says-education-minister
Editor's Note: We can advise the government on the matter:
two weeks ABC song.
two weeks ABC song while looking at alphabets on the wall.
two weeks reciting the alphabets at random.
phonics for three weeks.
graded reader 1 until graded reader 7.
learn numbers 1 to 9 and 0
addition -- single, double, triple, four digits.
subtraction -- single, double, triple, four digits.
multiplication tables 2 until 12 for two weeks.
Related Internal Links . . .
https://www.cpiasia.org/index.php/268-e-media/2676-malaysia-has-more-than-100-languages
More External Links . . .
Editor's Note II: Dyslexia children, based on personal experience, can be taught.
Teaching children on reading may be the hardest thing in the world but it can be done by focussing on the brain.
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed by the author/contributor do not necessarily represent those of the Center for Policy Initiatives (CPI).
