The Malaysian Ministry of Education today launched the National Education Plan 2026-2035 which will change the entry age for grade one, introduce two new centralized examinations and make it mandatory to pursue two subjects in international, private, tahfiz and folk religion schools.
The most exciting announcement is that grade one will now start at the age of 6 starting in the 2027 school session. Early registration will be allowed voluntarily for parents who want their children to receive formal education earlier than the age of 7 for so long.
To assess the level of learning among students, a centralized examination by the Examination Board will be introduced starting in 2026 for year 4 students and another for form 3 students starting in 2027.
The year 4 examination involves the subjects of Bahasa Melayu, English, Mathematics and Science. Meanwhile, the form 3 examination involves the subjects of Bahasa Melayu, English, Mathematics, Science and History.
For international, private, tahfiz and religious school students, they are now required to study Malay and history according to the national curriculum, which is implemented in the official school timetable. These two subjects are also required for UEC students, which became a big issue a few months ago.
