Aiming for zero dropout among school students
The ministry has initiated a Zero Student Dropout Programme (PSMC) to tackle the issue of student dropouts and children who are not attending schools, through focus intervention and close collaboration between district educational offices (PPDs) and different agencies. Dr Ahmad Rafee Che Kassim, MoE education planning, policy and research division director
PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Ministry of Education (MoE) is taking the issue of student dropouts among primary and secondary schools seriously, as the education system in Malaysia is facing a phenomenon of declining enrolment.
MoE education planning, policy and research division director Dr Ahmad Rafee Che Kassim said the issue has to be seriously addressed to avoid the country facing a student dropout situation among children in the education system.
“The ministry has initiated a Zero Student Dropout Programme (PSMC) to tackle the issue of student dropouts and children who are not attending schools, through focus intervention and close collaboration between district educational offices (PPDs) and different agencies,” he said in an interview at MoE headquarters here yesterday.
The interview was also attended by MoE education planning, policy and research division deputy director Dr Nik Fatihah Nik Abdullah and unit head Datin Haryati Mohamed Razali.
According to Ahmad Rafee, PSMC is part of Initiative 104: Increasing Access to Education from Preschool to Upper Secondary – under the Malaysian Education Blueprint (2013-2025). “MoE has taken action to coordinate focus intervention programmes in Perlis, Hulu Langat PPD and Langakawi PPD as part of the Secondary Enrolment Increment Committee (JPEM). “JPEM is one of the mechanisms to reduce the number of student dropouts in secondary schools. MoE has expanded the project to involve Pasir Mas PPD in Kelatan, as well as Kluang PPD and Kulai PPD in Johor to be a part of the programme,” he said.
He added that the programme is also to strengthen existing interventions that exist within the mechanism in the primary and secondary education sector.
Methods in Implementing PSMC
Haryati, meanwhile, said that PSMC will start with a talk by representatives from the education planning, policy and research division, school management division and education performance and delivery unit (Padu) to all parties that are directly and indirectly involved with the local school.
This is ensure all parties have a better understanding of the PSMC concept which will be carried out in the near term, especially with the close collaboration between MoE and other agencies, she said.
“After that, the state education department (JPN) director and the PPD will carry out workshops on
tackling the issue of student dropout based on cases in the respective JPN and PPD.
“The JPN and PPD will also prepare an analysis of existing student dropout cases and list all the student dropouts in primary and secondary schools under their jurisdiction.
“They will then work together with the school administrator to carry out intervention programmes on the student dropout cases,” she said.
Haryati added that MoE had prepared a High Risk Student Management Guideline to put a stop to the issue of student dropouts.
“An intervention module will be prepared as a guideline for teachers in order to carry out intervention programmes for students with high risk of dropping out so that the students remain in school until Form Five.
“Overall, the statistic shows that 26.1 per cent (267 students) of dropouts in secondary schools had re-enrolled into schools, while 25.6 per cent (20 students) of dropouts in primary schools went back to school.”
According to her, an analysis carried out based on location found out that JPN Perlis had successfully re-enrolled 100 per cent of student
dropouts in primary and secondary schools from August to November this year, while for other states, it had been found out that the percentage of student dropouts who went back to school ranged from eight to 50 per cent.
Haryati went on to appeal to the public to work closely with the ministry in supporting and assisting the implementation of PSMC.
“The support from the public is much needed to assist students to go back to schools. If parents have children who drop out from schools, they can contact MoE at state level or contact the school.
“The objective of MoE is to ensure that 100 per cent of the students have access to quality education, and we will always remain committed to assist the students.”
PSMC Intervention 2018
One of the main interventions carried out by JPN and PPD is through visiting students’ home, motivation programme for parents, and Parents and Community Association Cooperation Programme (PIBK).
As for students who drop out due to poverty, JPN and PPD had work together with other agencies such as the state Zakat Centre, Social Welfare Department (JKM), nongovernmental associations and through crowd-funding.
According to Nik Fatihah, most student dropout cases were due to poverty.
“For example, one of the cases was because the parents were not able to afford the expenses involved in sending their child to school, as the father was unable to work after losing a leg to diabetes.
“With strong cooperation between JPN and JKM, the student was given a bicycle to assist him in going to school,” she said, while recalling another case in Kelantan where they had helped two siblings to continue schooling again.
The pair had to stop schooling due to poverty and because their mother was blind, she added.
“PSMC 2018 is more focused on students who were expelled from schools or dropped out due to various factors. It is crucial that PSMC is being continued in 2019, and will be expanded to all states next year,” said Nik Fatihah.