Kuala lumpur: The construction of 350 new preschool classes encompasses not only primary schools but also extends to other institutions under the Ministry of Education (MOE), as announced by Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh. This initiative includes secondary schools, vocational colleges, matriculation, and Teacher Education Institutes (IPG).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Deputy Minister Wong emphasized that the MOE and the MADANI Government are focusing on ensuring children have adequate preparation before entering Year One. This was highlighted during his response to a supplementary question from Datuk Mohd Shahar Abdullah (BN-Paya Besar) concerning access and quality of early childhood education in the Dewan Rakyat.
Wong outlined that RM125 million has been earmarked for preschool construction at the MOE level, as announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Budget 2026. Addressing Mohd Shahar's query on government spending, Wong revealed that RM1.08 billion from the overall MOE allocation of RM64.1 billion is dedicated to early childhood education or preschool in 2025.
He further detailed that RM1.077 billion of this allocation is designated for emoluments, with RM9.25 million allocated for non-emoluments. The ministry is also enhancing teacher competencies to prepare them for the 2026 preschool curriculum, which will be introduced officially in 2026, aligning with efforts to improve preschool education quality.
Wong stated that curriculum upgrading training will be implemented in phases in 2025, involving master trainers at national, state, and district levels before extending to preschool teachers nationwide. This phased approach is intended to strengthen teachers' understanding of curriculum content and new teaching and learning methods.
The MOE has allocated RM3.38 million for developing models and modules, along with preschool teacher training programmes. These initiatives include training module development, value operationalisation workshops, and teacher professionalism enhancement programmes.
Wong concluded that these efforts aim to boost teachers' confidence in implementing the new curriculum and ensure holistic development of preschool students intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, and physically.