National Education Blueprint to focus on six student attributes, reforms through 11 shifts and 3 waves

KUALA LUMPUR: Key points of the National Education Blueprint launched on Tuesday. * Blueprint focuses on six student attributes - Knowledge, Thinking Skills, Leadership, Bilingual Proficiency, Ethics and National Identity * To achieve desired student outcomes, reform of education system to be approached in 11 shifts * Shift 1: Provide equal access to quality education of an international standard. Initiatives under Shift 1 - revised curriculum for schools in 2017 and option for high achieving students to finish school earlier. * Shift 2. Ensure every child is proficient in Bahasa Malaysia and English language. Under Shift 2, 70,000 English teachers to sit for Cambridge Placement Test and be given training to improve language proficiency. * Standard Bahasa Malaysia curriculum for all both government and vernacular primary schools - goal to abolish 'remove' class in secondary schools by 2017 *Shift 3: Develop values-driven Malaysians - plans of expanding the Student Integration Plan for Unity (RIMUP) programme for students * Shift 4: Transform teaching into profession of choice. Only top 30% of graduates will be recruited for teaching. Also new career package and reduced administrative duties for teachers. * Shift 5: Ensure high-performing school leaders in every school * Shift 6: Empower state and district Education Departments and schools to customise solutions based on need - they can tailor their approach for different schools. * Shift 7: Leverage ICT to scale up quality learning across Malaysia. Ministry to expand 1Bestari (Wifi) to all schools. * Shift 8: Transform Education Ministry delivery capabilities and capacity so that there is no overlap of function and more streamlined. * Shift 9: Partner with parents, community and private sector at scale. Parents will be able to monitor student progress online through School Examination Analysis System (SAPS) system. Five hundred trust schools to be set up * Shift 10: Maximise student outcomes for every ringgit. To ensure "outcome-based budgeting" with government spending on education * Shift 11: Increase transparency for direct public accountability. Blueprint and progress of its goals will be made public * First wave: Blueprint implementation, there will be more support for teachers and focus on core student skills * Second wave: Build upon progress. * Third wave: From 2020 - 2025, schools will have autonomy to handle their own administration. Source: The Star Online Jarumemas: Attended Remove Class before going to Form One.