The World Bank Malaysia Economic Monitor, titled “Bending Bamboo Shoots: Strengthening Foundational Skills,” emphasizes the crucial role of improving learning outcomes for children in Malaysia’s long-term growth prospects. By enhancing foundational skills, Malaysia can acquire the advanced skills necessary to sustain growth and transition into a high-income nation.
As the country strives to attract private investments, it becomes imperative to ensure the availability of skilled workers. However, surveys conducted among firms reveal a significant gap in the demand for workers with both soft skills, such as problem-solving, leadership, and communication, and technical skills. To remain competitive with aspirational peers like Singapore and Korea, or even outpace emerging competitors like Vietnam, investing in quality early education and enhancing teacher performance is of utmost importance.
Malaysia’s Minister of the Economy, Mohd Rafizi Ramli, acknowledges the challenge of maintaining economic growth while addressing the rising cost of living and securing well-paying jobs for the public. In the short-term, the government is implementing measures like minimum and progressive wages, along with targeted cash transfers. However, the long-term solution lies in transforming education into productive employment.
Strengthening the education system is key to building a resilient and thriving economy. In order to tackle income inequality, a primary concern for the government as it considers fiscal reforms, it is essential to support teachers and improve basic education outcomes. Equal access to quality education will provide more young people with opportunities for social and economic advancement.
“Malaysia needs more sophisticated and advanced skills to transition into a high-income country,” said World Bank Country Director for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand Ndiame Diop. “Advanced skills depend fundamentally upon strong foundational skills, which are developed through high-quality early childhood education and primary education. Malaysia already has a vibrant education system — the next step is to ensure that all students have the foundational skills necessary to acquire more advanced skills.”
Malaysia has made significant progress in achieving universal primary education with equitable distribution of resources and student experiences. However, a considerable number of children, particularly those from lower-income households, lack the necessary school readiness skills despite attending early childhood centers. As a result, they face difficulties in reading, writing, and mathematics throughout their schooling. International assessments reveal that Malaysian students lag behind their peers in reading, math, and science by the age of 15.
To tackle these challenges, Malaysia has implemented several programs such as the Reading Aid Programme and the Primary School Literacy and Numeracy Program. These initiatives align with global best practices and are part of the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025, which emphasizes effective teaching strategies. The report provides four recommendations to enhance learning outcomes. Firstly, it suggests ensuring that all children have access to high-quality preschool education and are prepared for primary school. Secondly, efforts should be made to improve the accessibility and quality of early childhood education for lower-income households. Thirdly, it emphasizes the importance of measuring student learning outcomes against international standards and thoroughly evaluating teacher performance.
Lastly, the report highlights the need for effective teacher training programs that take into account teachers’ experiences and needs, ensuring long-term effectiveness and sustainability.