Report on the Education (Amendment) Bill 2025 and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Legislative Overview and Core Mandate

The Malaysian Parliament has passed the Education (Amendment) Bill 2025, marking a significant legislative reform to the national education system. The amendment to the Education Act 1996 (Act 550) establishes a new legal framework for compulsory secondary education.

• Core Amendment: The bill introduces a new Section 32A, which legally mandates that every parent of a Malaysian citizen child residing in Malaysia must ensure the child’s enrollment and continued attendance throughout the secondary education period.
• Objective: The stated purpose is to elevate human capital development and guarantee the right to education for every child, a move described as a historic milestone.
• Scope: The mandate ensures education up to at least the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) level or an equivalent recognised Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) qualification.

2.0 Alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education

The legislation is fundamentally aligned with the principles of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

1. Target 4.1 (Universal Secondary Education): By making secondary education compulsory, the bill directly addresses the core objective of Target 4.1, which is to ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education.
2. Target 4.4 (Skills for Employment): The inclusion of TVET pathways as an equivalent to the SPM level supports Target 4.4, which focuses on substantially increasing the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship.
3. Foundational Reform: The amendment is positioned as a critical reform to elevate the overall quality of the national education system and human capital, which is central to the ethos of SDG 4.

3.0 Socio-Economic Implications and Broader SDG Contributions

The impact of the bill extends beyond education, contributing to several other interconnected SDGs.

• SDG 1 (No Poverty): The policy is explicitly cited as a tool to break the cycle of poverty. By ensuring higher educational attainment, it aims to improve long-term economic prospects for individuals and families, directly contributing to poverty eradication efforts.
• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): The emphasis on human capital development, critical thinking, and enhanced employability skills is intended to prepare students for effective participation in the economy. This fosters a more skilled workforce, which is essential for sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth.
• SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): By guaranteeing access to secondary education for every child, the law seeks to reduce educational inequalities rooted in socio-economic status, thereby promoting greater social equity.
• SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions): The passage of the bill exemplifies the role of strong institutions in creating and enforcing legal frameworks that protect fundamental human rights, such as the right to education.

4.0 Implementation Considerations and Challenges

While the legislative framework is in place, successful implementation requires addressing several key challenges, many of which are linked to underlying socio-economic factors.

1. Addressing Dropout Causes: It was noted that the Ministry of Education must address the root causes of school dropouts. This includes mitigating the financial burden on low-income families who struggle with the indirect costs of education, a factor that could undermine the bill’s objectives if not managed.
2. Ensuring National Competitiveness: The initiative is seen as crucial for Malaysia to achieve parity with other developed nations, where higher levels of compulsory education are standard.
3. Upholding Educational Philosophy: The implementation must ensure the development of a knowledgeable and competitive generation that also embodies the values of human dignity (‘karamah insaniah’) as enshrined in the National Education Philosophy.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 4: Quality Education

• The article’s central theme is the passing of the Education (Amendment) Bill 2025, which makes secondary education compulsory in Malaysia. This directly addresses the core objective of SDG 4, which is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. The Education Minister’s statement that “Education is the birthright of every child” and the bill’s aim to “ensure every child received proper education” align perfectly with this goal.

SDG 1: No Poverty

• The article connects education directly to poverty alleviation. It quotes Datuk Dr Ku Abd Rahman, who states that making secondary education compulsory “could break the cycle of poverty.” This establishes a clear link to SDG 1, which aims to end poverty in all its forms everywhere. The article also notes that “low income” is a cause of school dropouts, reinforcing the bidirectional relationship between poverty and education.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• The article highlights the role of education in economic development and employability. It mentions that the reform will “elevate the quality of education and human capital development” and enhance “students’ employability and communication skills to participate in the economy and society.” This connects to SDG 8, which promotes sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Target 4.1: Free, Equitable, and Quality Primary and Secondary Education

• The article directly relates to Target 4.1: “By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.” The bill making secondary education compulsory is a direct policy action to achieve this target. The text specifies the government’s commitment to “guaranteeing every child’s right to education up to at least the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) level or an equivalent recognised Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) qualification,” which defines the scope of completion for secondary education in the national context.

Target 1.2: Reduce Poverty in All Its Dimensions

• The article implies a connection to Target 1.2: “By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions.” The statement that compulsory secondary education can “break the cycle of poverty” positions education as a key strategy for achieving this target. By equipping children with better skills and qualifications, the policy aims to improve their future economic prospects, thereby reducing poverty in the long term.

Target 8.6: Promote Youth Employment, Education and Training

• The content aligns with Target 8.6: “By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training.” Although the target year has passed, the principle remains highly relevant. By making secondary education compulsory, the policy directly addresses the “education” component for the youth demographic, aiming to prevent students from dropping out and becoming part of the NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training) population. The mention of enhancing “employability” and developing “human capital” further supports this link.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Indicator for Target 4.1

• The article implies the use of Indicator 4.1.2: Completion rate (primary education, lower secondary education, upper secondary education). The entire purpose of the bill is to ensure students remain in school “throughout the secondary education period.” The success of this law will be measured by an increase in the secondary education completion rate. Furthermore, the concern raised by Teresa Kok about “school dropouts” implies that the dropout rate is a key metric to monitor, which is inversely related to the completion rate.

Indicator for Target 1.2

• The article implies Indicator 1.2.1: Proportion of population living below the national poverty line. While not directly stated as a metric, the assertion that the policy will “break the cycle of poverty” suggests that a long-term measure of its success would be a reduction in national poverty rates. The mention of “low income” as a barrier to education also points to poverty levels as a relevant indicator to track.

Indicator for Target 8.6

• The article strongly implies Indicator 8.6.1: Proportion of youth (aged 15-24 years) not in employment, education or training (NEET). By mandating that all children complete secondary education, the policy directly aims to reduce the number of youths who are “not in education.” This is a direct intervention to lower the national NEET rate, which is a primary measure of progress for Target 8.6.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: malaymail.com