School syllabus can't change every year, says education minister

The school syllabus developed by the education ministry has its cycle and cannot be changed every year, Education Minister Radzi Jidin said today.

He said that developing a new syllabus would also require an in-depth study involving many experts and experienced and capable teachers.

"This is not Radzi Jidin’s syllabus. I want to explain that the syllabus being used today began in 2017, and the process of developing it started long before that.

"If we change the syllabus frequently, teachers and pupils will face difficulties adapting to the new one. So what we have been practising is that once a cycle is complete, a review will be held to see the effectiveness of the syllabus," he told reporters in Shah Alam today.

He added that pupils entering Standard One would use the same syllabus until they complete Standard Six.

He said this in response to concerns raised by a teacher, Mohd Fadli Mohamed Salleh, on social media that the primary school mathematics syllabus is too advanced and unsuitable for the age group.

Radzi said the ministry had never stopped teachers from voicing their views on the education system, adding that he himself had gone down to meet them to solve issues, including the matter of heavy schoolbags.

"We have made various transformations at the ministry due to discussions and feedback from teachers and stakeholders. And I think it is not right to say that we don’t listen to views from teachers," he said.

Regarding allegations of embezzlement in the ministry, Radzi said that secretary-general Yusran Shah Mohd Yusof had followed his directive to lodge a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

"We are open and we have nothing to worry about. That is why the secretary-general has taken action as instructed, because we want to maintain the good image of the ministry. Our message is simple, every sen of people’s money must be returned to the people.

"I’m here serving the country. I have no other agenda. (So) if there is an allegation, the MACC can investigate," he said.