Sagah says children entering school at age 6 is reasonable step

KOTA SAMARAHAN, Jan 23 2026: Sarawak Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister Roland Sagah Wee Inn has welcomed the implementation of the National Education Plan 2026–2035 announced by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim recently.

Caotion: Roland Sagah Wee Inn (centre) speaking to reporters 

 He considered the plan that stipulates that children enter school at the age of six and preschool education begins as early as five years old as a reasonable step in strengthening the foundations of education and enabling early intervention to be implemented more effectively.

He said the policy is under the jurisdiction of the federal government and is made based on the current needs of the country's education system.

"This plan is indeed determined by the federal government, including the policy of entering school at the age of six and preschool at the age of five. Actually, this is not something new," he told reporters after the Certificate Presentation Ceremony of the Semiconductor Mastery Programme organised by SMD Semiconductor at SMD Academy today.

According to him, entering school at the age of six has long been practiced and does not affect children's development, but is even more relevant in the current context when children are exposed to the learning environment early.

“Nowadays, children are sent to play schools from a young age. They learn to socialise, interact and play while learning. So, when they reach the age of four or five, they are familiar with the learning environment,” he explained.

Commenting on the concerns over the readiness of children in rural areas, he said various efforts have been implemented to ensure that access to early education can be enjoyed more comprehensively.

"We have greatly improved facilities including kindergartens in rural areas through KEMAS and also the SeDidik kindergartens under the Sarawak government. Although not all conditions can be met, the majority of the community is actually ready," he said.

On the implementation of academic assessments at the early stages of schooling, including the proposed examinations around Year Four, Sagah said it aims to identify students' weaknesses early and is not punitive.

"This early assessment is important for intervention. It does not mean that students who fail will be expelled from school. But it gives us an indication of the form of assistance and support programs that need to be provided," he said.

He stressed that delaying intervention can have long-term effects on students.

"If we wait until Year Six or Form Three to realise that students cannot read and write, it is already too late. That is why early intervention is better," he said.

He added that the implementation of stricter examinations at certain levels such as Year Six for the purpose of entry into international schools does not affect the existing intervention programme and is in line with the assessment approach at the national level,