This post was originally published on here
Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee
MIRI (Dec 6): The allocation of teaching hours for Mathematics and Science in Malaysian public schools is critically insufficient and must be increased urgently to improve student achievement.
Speaking to reporters after visiting the Sarawak Biovalley Pilot Plant’s Common Science Laboratory at Curtin University Malaysia, Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee highlighted a significant disparity in subject allocation.
“In public schools, the hours allocated for Mathematics and Science are far lower than those for Bahasa Malaysia and English,” he said.
“Students currently receive 192 hours of Bahasa Malaysia instruction annually compared to just 96 hours for Mathematics and only 48 hours for Science. The allocation should be comparable—or at least, the gap should not be this wide.”
He stressed that mastering Mathematics is essential for success in Science.
Pointing to recent results from the Dual Language Programme (DLP), Dr Annuar warned that without immediate intervention, Sarawak risks producing insufficient science-stream students at the secondary level in the future.
“No amount of facilities or physical improvements can deliver meaningful impact if learning hours remain inadequate,” he said.
“Improving achievement at primary level is fundamental to students’ development before they enter secondary school.”
Dr Annuar announced that Sarawak will implement its own initiative, ‘Empowering Mathematics and Science Sarawak’, a workshop designed to formulate strategies for improving performance in both subjects.
“We want to add learning hours for pupils in Sarawak. However, the official allocation is set by the Ministry of Education (MoE). Nevertheless, we will hold a workshop and strategy laboratory soon to identify the best approach,” he said.
He called on the MoE to give serious attention to this critical issue affecting students’ foundational learning.
