Selangor to Align Religious School Enrollments with New National Education Policy

Kuala Lumpur,El Sky News – The Selangor State Government has announced its commitment to synchronizing the enrollment age for state religious schools with the newly introduced National Education Policy, ensuring a unified educational pathway for students across the state.

Eliminating Systemic Dualism

Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari emphasized that the state aims to eliminate discrepancies between the national school system and religious institutions. Under the new alignment, Selangor will follow the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) updated age requirements:

• Preschool: Enrollment begins at age 5.
• Standard 1 (Primary): Enrollment begins at age 6.

“We do not want to have two or three different systems in place. By standardizing the entry age, we ensure that students from religious schools are on an equal footing with their peers in national schools,” Amirudin stated during a press briefing today.

Strategic Coordination

The state government is currently working closely with the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS), the state education department, and higher education institutions to finalize the transition.

A comprehensive framework and technical details for the implementation are expected to be ready by May 2026. This gives the state a one-year window to adjust infrastructure and administrative protocols before the policy takes full effect.

Addressing the Teacher Shortage

While the move is seen as a step forward for educational consistency, the Menteri Besar acknowledged significant hurdles—most notably in human resources. The influx of younger students will require a rapid increase in the recruitment of qualified teachers to maintain educational standards.

Part of a National Shift

This decision is a localized response to the National Education Development Plan (2026–2035) launched earlier this month. The federal plan introduces several landmark changes, including:

• Mandatory Subjects: Compulsory passes in Bahasa Melayu and History for all schools, including religious and international institutions.
• New Standardized Assessments: The reintroduction of centralized assessments for Year 4 (starting 2026) and Form 3 (starting 2027).