Kuala lumpur: A total of 13,424 participants have enrolled in the National Professional Qualification for Educational Leaders (NPQEL) programme from 2015 until this year, according to Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Wong detailed the annual enrollment figures during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat. He noted that 1,350 participants were recorded in 2015, with numbers increasing to 1,675 in 2016 and 1,672 in 2017. In the subsequent years, 1,455 participants enrolled in 2018, 1,106 in 2019, 996 in 2020, 1,020 in 2021, 685 in 2022, 690 in 2023, 1,123 in 2024, and reaching 1,652 this year.
Wong highlighted that as of July 9 this year, the filling rate for principal positions was at 93 percent, with 2,244 out of 2,409 positions filled. Similarly, the filling rate for headmaster positions in primary schools, including special education primary schools, stood at 98 percent, involving 7,584 out of 7,734 positions.
The NPQEL is a mandatory training and qualification programme aimed at developing leadership and school management competencies systematically and is implemented by the Ministry of Education (MOE). Wong emphasized that the MOE has increased the number of NPQEL slots over the past two years to address the need for filling available positions, with 1,123 participants in 2024 and 1,652 this year.
Wong projected that a total of 2,271 principal and headmaster vacancies would be filled between 2026 and 2027. He stated that as of December 31, 2024, 728 individuals were eligible for appointment, with an additional 1,543 positions expected to be filled upon the completion of the NPQEL course by its participants.
The process of filling these posts is subject to various factors, including the requirements of government-aided religious schools, national-type secondary schools, and missionary schools. Wong also mentioned that the views of the school's governing board would be considered, and candidates proposed by the board would be evaluated by the MOE or the respective District Education Office when filling vacancies.