tags - Sinar Daily

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek at the MOE Community Ramadan Jaulah programme at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Sultanah Hajjah Kalsom here on Thursday. Photo by Bernama

Children entering Year One early at the age of six (5 ), starting from the 2027 session, are expected to complete upper secondary education at 16, according to the Education Ministry (MOE). Photo for illustrative purposes only - Bernama FILE PIX

Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari. Bernama FILE PIX

On Jan 20, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim when launching the National Education Plan (RPN) 2026-2035, announced that starting next year, six-year-old children can enrol in Year One, but this is not mandatory and is up to parents.

The National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) suggests that only pupils who attended preschool or kindergarten at the age of five should be eligible to enter Year One.

The government agreed that diagnostic screening tests to determine the eligibility of children to enter Year One at the age of six, starting from the 2027 school session, will not be implemented. Small picture: Dr Anuar

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during the Ministers’ Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today. - Photo by Bernama

The government is reportedly targeting all social media platforms to implement digital user identity verification (eKYC) by the end of the second quarter of 2026 to enforce the minimum age requirement for account registration. - Photo illustrated by Sinar Daily

Emotional development and communication skills are among the key factors that need to be considered before children enter primary school. Inset photo (from left): Connie, Siti Nuraim, Zulfahimi, Hafizah and Nur Hafizah.

Fadhlina said the primary focus of the policy is to ensure that children’s rights and interests are protected, with assessments conducted holistically, covering emotional, cognitive and learning skills, rather than being based solely on age. - Bernama photo