On July 28, the Ministry of Education tabled the 2025 Education (Amendment) Bill for its first reading in the Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives), proposing to make 11 years of education compulsory for all Malaysian citizens, six years of primary and five years of secondary school.

Parents may face law if failing to ensure their children finish 11 years of education

The bill introduces a new Section 32A, which explicitly states that parents residing in Malaysia with children who are Malaysian citizens must ensure their children are enrolled in school and continue attending throughout the full duration for 11 years. 11 years of education in Malaysia includes 6 years in primary education, 5 years in secondary education.

If parents fail to comply, they may face legal consequences. If convicted, parents will be faced with a fine of RM5,000, jailed for up to six months, or both.

Secondary school enrollment rate falls only at 94.66%

The bill also empowers the Minister of Education to issue exemptions through gazette orders, allowing certain students or groups to be exempted from compulsory education requirements. The minister retains the discretion to revoke, amend, or impose new terms for these exemptions.

Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh presented the bill and is seeking a second reading within the current parliamentary session.

As of 2024, Malaysia’s secondary school enrollment rate stands at 94.66%, slightly below the 95% benchmark set by UNESCO.

While implementing this amendment is expected to incur additional government expenditure, the exact financial cost are still undetermined.

Follow Wah Piang for more!