The government has scrapped the requirement for a diagnostic screening test for six-year-old children seeking early entry into Standard One, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced today.

Speaking during Prime Minister’s Question Time, Anwar said the Education Ministry decided to abolish the screening to prevent it from becoming discriminatory towards young learners.

“Although the assessment was initially proposed with good intentions, there were concerns that it could label children as ‘not qualified’ or ‘not smart enough’ before they even start school, which could have psychological effects,” he said.

As a result, the Prime Minister added, the Education Minister proposed that the diagnostic screening be dropped.

Anwar was responding to a suggestion from Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, who urged the government to re-evaluate the need for the test.

The screening had been part of an earlier plan to allow children aged six to enrol in Standard One from the 2027 school session, subject to an assessment of their readiness. Under that proposal, pupils starting at six would complete upper secondary education at 16.

Under the current policy, early Standard One enrolment remains optional, with parents free to enrol their children at six or wait until the age of seven.

Anwar said Malaysia should not fall behind global education trends, citing UNESCO data showing that more than 71 per cent of countries worldwide set the primary school entry age at six.

He added that preparations were underway to support early enrolment, including the expansion of preschool facilities and the recruitment of more teachers.

The government is seeking an additional RM800 million allocation to meet urgent staffing and infrastructure needs, with the funding expected to be tabled in this year’s Budget.