KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has agreed to scrap the proposed diagnostic screening test to assess children's eligibility for entry into Year One as early as six years old, beginning with the 2027 school session. "The initial proposal was well-intentioned, as it aimed to introduce an assessment system before children enter school. This was the Education Minister's recommendation, and I agreed," he said. Anwar said this in reply to Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Muda-Muar) during the Ministers' Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (Jan 27). However, the Prime Minister said the absence of a diagnostic test does not mean that monitoring pupils' readiness will be neglected.

Source: The Star January 27, 2026 11:42 UTC