The Ministry of Education (MoE) received the lion’s share of the 2024 National Budget. With RM58.7 billion allocated, the ministry has stated several key priorities such as infrastructure and facility upgrades within its’ institutions, and integrating digital technology to enhance quality of teaching and learning. A stated budget of RM 100 million has been dedicated to enhancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. This includes upgrading school computer labs and acquiring new STEM learning equipment, aligning with MoE’s broader initiatives for digital education.
It appears that digitalisation and the integration of technology is an urgent priority to the MoE. While the National Education Policy is due to be revised and implemented in 2025, a specialised Digital Education Policy (DEP) preceded this.
Launched and implemented in November 2023, the implementation of the DEP aims to address several key challenges in the national educational landscape
Key challenges in the national educational landscape:
- The foundational level of school excellence, where over half of schools ranked stage three or lower in excellence ratings in 2019. For context, a recent World Bank report titled “Bending Bamboo Shoots: Strengthening Foundation Skills” revealed that 42% of Malaysian students fail to achieve reading, writing and mathematical proficiency by the end of Standard 5. Additionally, the findings state that the average Malaysian student spends 12.5 years in school but only learns the equivalent of 8.9 years.
- Challenges in infrastructure provision due to various factors, including neighborhood ecosystems, standardized implementation, and management issues.
- Modest achievements in students’ digital competencies, particularly in cognitive and technology domains, although digital citizenship has shown improvement.
- International assessments like PISA 2018 and TIMSS 2019 indicating inadequate computing capacity and digital device availability in Malaysian schools.
- The COVID-19 pandemic’s shift to remote Teaching and Learning (TnL), revealing disparities in student device ownership and Internet access. As a result, the Digital Competency Score (DCS) 2023 report shows that the average score for rural school students was 3.25/5.00. This is lower than scores for urban school students at 3.34/5.00 and the national average of 3.31/5.00.
Thus, these challenges inform the stated objectives of the DEP are to:
- Foster digitally fluent students.
- Promote digital technology integration among educators and leaders.
- Strengthen digital education infrastructure, infostructure, and content.
- Optimise strategic partnerships to catalyse digital education.
In addressing these four objectives, MoE’s DEP contains six thrusts, 18 strategies and 41 initiatives to support the vision of digital education. Each thrust provides guidance and strategic direction for the operational plan to address issues and challenges that require ongoing commitment by all stakeholders.
This article is a comprehensive review of the DEP digital focus and priorities as it embarks on its journey in inculcating the right technological skills, infrastructure and support to future-proof Malaysia’s youth for a digitally driven future.
Thrust 1: Shaping Digitally Fluent Students
Thrust 1 aims to cultivate students’ digital fluency, aligning with MoE’s priority of equipping students with 21st-century skills necessary for the digital era. By fostering digital literacy and competency from an early age, MoE seeks to enhance students’ readiness for future academic and professional pursuits, thereby bolstering Malaysia’s digital workforce.
Thrust 1 contains four strategies and eight initiatives aimed at developing the skills needed for digital fluency.
Strategy 1.1: Empowering digital education in curriculum and assessment
Initiatives under Strategy 1.1 centers on creating the appropriate curriculum and assessments needed to identify, nurture and channel the relevant digital skills in students to build competent skillsets for a digital era.
Initiative 1.1.1: Refining the subject curriculum to emphasise real-life application of digital skills through curriculum subjects that embed digital skills into syllabi, hence shaping skills that serve the needs of a digital era.
Initiative 1.1.2: Refining integrated assessments to use digital technology. This includes the formation of a unified assessment system adopted by all schools, vocational colleges and matriculation colleges. Furthermore, students will be channelled to the appropriate academic or vocational pathways based on their potential, interests and inclinations.
Strategy 1.2: Developing Students’ Digital Competency Standard
Initiatives under Strategy 1.2 focus on creating the correct benchmarks, measurements and intervention plans to ensure digital skills developments are on track.
Initiative 1.2.1: Constructing student’s digital competency standards.
Initiative 1.2.2: Preparing instrument to measure student’s level of digital competency
Initiative 1.2.3: Implementing focussed intervention plans that focuses on student’s digital competency standards
Strategy 1.3: Cultivating the integrated, creative, innovative and ethical use of digital technology in student-centred learning
Initiatives under strategy 1.3 emphasise on attitudes towards integration of digital technology, empowering and enabling student independence, a sense of ethics and the responsible use of technology.
Initiative 1.3.1: Strengthening student’s understanding through the deep learning approach.
Initiative 1.3.2: Implementing and practising the ethical use of digital technology amongst students.
Strategy 1.4: Nurturing students’ potentials and talents in digital technology via co-curricular activities
Initiatives under Strategy 1.4 focusses on co-curricular activities to further nourish and apply digital skills developed in main curriculums outside of school (ie. talent and career development efforts)
Initiative 1.4.1: Increasing student engagement in digital-based co-curricular activities by incorporating entrepreneurial elements
Thrust 2: Creating Digitally Competent Educators
While Thrust 1 put students at its’ core, the MoE places similar emphasis on its’ educators in Thrust 2. Strategies and initiatives under Thrust 2 focuses on blended training and self-learning practices to help educators effectively integrate digital technology within pedagogy, including Teaching and Learning (TnL), and management and administrative (PdT) tasks.
By empowering educators with digital expertise, MoE addresses the need for skilled professionals capable of delivering effective digital education. Supporting educators in integrating technology into pedagogy aligns with MoE’s priority of ensuring quality teaching practices and nurturing a cadre of digitally adept educators who can facilitate student learning in innovative ways.
As an example of Thrust 2 in action, MoE has set up task forces to steer the direction of national education, with one of the task forces focusing on the development of digital education. During a press conference in April 2024, Education Director-General Azman Adnan was quoted saying, “We want our children to become digitally literate and capable of exploring and using digital technology to improve the knowledge they learn in the classroom. Therefore, we also need to ensure that our teachers possess digital proficiency, utilising all available digital approaches for pedagogical purposes and facilitating the teaching and learning process.”
Thrust 2 contains four (4) strategies and five (5) initiatives.
Strategy 2.1: Identifying the level of digital competence of educators
Initiatives under Strategy 2.1 focusses on correctly and accurately identifying levels of digital competence, including strengths and weaknesses of individual educators to inform training and upskilling pathways.
Initiative 2.1.1: Providing the instrument and administer the Educator’s Digital Competency Standard evaluation to educators (PPP) based on their respective career pathways.
Strategy 2.2: Improving the competency level of educators continuously
Initiatives under Strategy 2.2 encompasses the effective and comprehensive development of educator competence levels through training and educational programmes designed specifically for educators within MoE’s purview.
Initiative 2.2.1: Implementing training programmes to enhance the digital competence of educators.
Initiative 2.2.2: Enhancing the curriculum of the education programme for teacher trainees.
Strategy 2.3: Empowering educators as experts in digital education
Beyond mere upskilling, initiatives under Strategy 2.3 focuses on building educators to a level of expertise in integration and application of digital knowledge and skills.
Initiative 2.3.1: Creating a panel of digital education experts.
Strategy 2.4: Cultivating knowledge, creativity and innovation of digital education holistically
Innovation and digitalisation go hand in hand, requiring a mindset that seeks creativity and inventiveness. Thus, initiatives under Strategy 2.4 are culture-driven, designed to encourage the innovative spirit required from educators for proper application and integration of technology in the classroom.
Initiative 2.4.1: Inculcating a culture of creativity and innovation throughout digital education.
Thrust 3: Forming a Culture of Visionary Digital Leadership
Developing competent digital education leaders is crucial for driving systemic change and innovation within Malaysia’s education system. Thrust 3 aims to develop digital education leaders who are able to mobilise educators to integrate digital technology in the educational ecosystem based on the Standard School Leader Competencies (KOMPAS 2.0), creating professional development benchmarks and effectively transform educational leadership.
By cultivating visionary leadership, MoE aims to ensure effective implementation of digital initiatives at all levels, aligning with its priority of fostering organisational excellence and strategic management to navigate the complexities of the digital landscape.
Thrust 3 has two (2) strategies and five (5) initiatives.
Strategy 3.1: Improving the digital competencies of education leaders
Initiatives under Strategy 3.1 are specifically targeted towards education leaders, rather than the general teaching body. It involves the creation of specific technology and leadership-oriented curriculum to guide educators who are ambassadors and models for the teaching body under their guidance.
Initiative 3.1.1: Improving the training curriculum.
Initiative 3.1.2: Implementing digital training for educational leaders.
Initiative 3.1.3: Implementing training to lead trainers among Institut Aminuddin Baki (IAB) lecturers.
Strategy 3.2: Cultivating change in digital education leadership
Initiatives under Strategy 3.2 focuses on the continuation and sustainability of leadership and digital pedagogical practices, ensuring the formation of a deep, holistic digital education culture in MoE educational institutes.
Initiative 3.2.1: Implementing change management for education leaders.
Initiative 3.2.2: Conducting mentoring to education leaders with a Follow-up Follow-through (FUFT) instrument, conducting Training of Trainers (ToT) or Mentor Training Course to 40 percent of IAB lecturers and implementing a FUFT mentoring programme to all selected education leaders.
Thrust 4: Empowerment of Infrastructure and Infostructure
A robust digital infrastructure is foundational for the successful implementation of digital education initiatives. By investing in agile and dynamic infrastructure, MoE supports its priority of modernising educational facilities and ensuring equitable access to digital resources, thereby bridging the digital divide and fostering inclusivity in education.
With four (4) strategies and fifteen (15) initiatives, Thrust 4 is the largest and most comprehensive in the DEP, highlighting the pervasive need to upgrade facilities and infrastructure within MoE’s educational institutions.
Strategy 4.1: Providing agile and dynamic digital infrastructure across all MoE institutions
Initiatives under Strategy 4.1 focusses on widening access to technology with the appropriate capabilities to support the implementation of a digital syllabus. This includes infrastructure that is agile, scalable, dynamic and accessible for educators and students.
Initiative 4.1.1: Providing Wide Area Network (WAN) connectivity in MoE institutions.
Initiative 4.1.2: Upgrading the Local Area Network (LAN) in MoE institutions.
Initiative 4.1.3: Increasing the uptake of digital technologies in MoE educational institutions.
Initiative 4.1.4: Increasing the use of cloud computing services.
Initiative 4.1.5: Enabling Software as a service (SaaS) as a centralised service.
Strategy 4.2: Providing access to digital devices and support services for students and educators
Initiatives under Strategy 4.2 emphasises on the availability of the appropriate hardware needed to support access to digital education.
Initiative 4.2.1: Providing access to digital devices for each student through various mechanisms.
Initiative 4.2.2: Providing digital devices for each educator.
Initiative 4.2.3: Implementing the centralised service of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) technical assistance in State Education Departments (JPN) and District Education Offices (PPD)
Strategy 4.3: Utilising digital technology in MoE services
These initiatives include digitalising the operations and administrative segment of MoE services, including non-teaching related tasks and personnel. This may include items such as the dissemination of MoE information, record-keeping, resource sharing and more.
Initiative 4.3.1: Providing integrated, seamless and secure MoE key services.
Initiative 4.3.2: Increasing the use of digital technologies in MoE shared and support services.
Initiative 4.3.3: Upgrading the TnL platform across key MoE services.
Initiative 4.3.4: Improving digital knowledge and skills among non-teaching personnel as MoE’s digital transformation advocates.
Strategy 4.4: Using data to improve the MoE service and the user experience
These initiatives point to the use of analytics to bolster the MoE’s pedagogical, operational and strategic decision-making as it embarks on the transformation towards digital educational. Analytics will be a powerful tool to boost and sharpen the outcomes of initiatives under Thrusts 1 – 3 in developing student and educator capabilities.
In these initiatives, management of data is paramount. Proper measures ensuring data relevance, cleanliness, robustness, accuracy and quality must be in place for MoE to be able to harness the power of analytics for its’ decision-making.
Initiative 4.4.1: Standardising MoE data and applications through improved use of MoE models and data dictionaries.
Initiative 4.4.2: Creating a data warehouse that centralises all MoE data.
Initiative 4.4.3: Establishing a big data analytics platform as a single source of MoE data.
Thrust 5: Creating Quality Digital Content
Quality digital content enhances the effectiveness and relevance of digital education delivery. By empowering educators with engaging resources and platforms, MoE supports its priority of promoting innovative teaching and learning practices, fostering creativity, and enhancing student engagement, thereby enriching the learning experience and preparing students for success in the digital age.
Strategies under Thrust 5 require technology that enables seamless interactivity, to create experiential learning through engaging content beyond traditional teaching methods.
Strategy 5.1: Empowering digital learning platforms to improve user experience
Initiative 5.1.1: Improving the Digital Educational Learning Initiatives Malaysia (DELIMa) platform from the aspects of user experience, data analytics and personalised learning. This requires a comprehensive review of DELIMa from its’ different stakeholders, and tangible steps to improve the usability and uptake of the MoE’s main digital resource repository.
Strategy 5.2: Empowering digital educational resources
Initiatives under Strategy 5.2 focusses on developing digital resources, and ensuring wide enough access to these resources for students and teachers alike through centralised sources and user-friendly design of resources/digital experiences.
Initiative 5.2.1: Integrating digital content repositories in a structured, efficient and user-friendly manner.
Initiative 5.2.2: Enhancing digital content in various formats.
Initiative 5.2.3: Developing centralised educational resources in a structured manner.
Initiative 5.2.4: Developing multimedia digital resource materials in textbooks.
Thrust 6: Committed Strategic Partners
Collaboration with strategic partners is essential for leveraging expertise, resources, and networks to advance digital education goals.
Thrust 6 calls for the formation of a wider strategic partner network to support the implementation of digital education. These would include cooperation and commitment within government agencies, communities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Government-Linked Companies (GLCs) and the private sector for knowledge and skills transfer, training programmes, digital infrastructure support, and entrepreneurial activities, as well as research, development, commercialisation and innovation (RDCI).
By fostering partnerships across sectors, MoE supports its priority of promoting stakeholder engagement and collaboration, harnessing collective efforts to address complex challenges, and driving sustainable change in Malaysia’s digital education landscape.
Strategy 6.1: Strengthening strategic partnerships with parents, communities, NGOs, GLCs, public and private sectors in digital education
Initiative 6.1.1: Facilitating collaboration with parents, communities, NGOs, GLCs, public and private sectors for the implementation of digital education.
Strategy 6.2: Utilising collaborative partnerships and networks with parents, communities, NGOs, GLCs, public and private sectors in digital education
Initiative 6.2.1: Expanding industrial training, apprenticeship, support strategy and cadre programs related to digital education.
Initiative 6.2.2: Improving cooperation with parents, communities, NGOs, GLCs, public and private sectors including negotiation activities, RDCI, digital technology transfer and digital entrepreneurship.
Key Takeaways
The MoE’s Digital Education Policy presents a comprehensive and strategic roadmap for transforming Malaysia’s education system into a digitally-driven environment. By focusing on student and educator skill development, infrastructure improvements, and strategic partnerships, the MoE aims to equip future generations with the digital literacy skills necessary to thrive in the digital age.