Malaysia’s 12-year basic education holds lessons for Nigeria

Malaysia’s 12-year basic education serves as a model for the Nigerian government, which recently proposed a similar type of education.

Tunji Alausa, minister of education, recently said that the 12-year basic education policy would remove the junior and secondary school classes while introducing an uninterrupted basic education model.

“A 12-year basic education model will ensure a continuous, uninterrupted curriculum, promoting better standardisation and fostering quality assurance in the education system.

“Subsuming secondary education into basic education to span 12 years is a necessary step towards creating a more inclusive, equitable, and globally competitive system. It is time for us to embrace this reform to secure the future of our children and ultimately, the prosperity of our nation,” Alausa said.

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The Malaysian model

Nigeria is adopting a model similar to Malaysia’s, which pays attention to technical education.

Malaysia has an education system structured into five stages: preschool, primary, secondary, post-secondary, and tertiary.

The system is designed to develop students’ knowledge, skills, and values, and to prepare students for success in their careers and personal lives.

In Malaysia, students can choose between academic, technical/vocational or religious secondary education. For the post-secondary education, students can apply for a one- or two-year college preparatory programme after finishing secondary school.

Education is heavily subsidised to support the poor and tight quotas that protect the racial majority.

Malaysia pays attention to technical education, emphasising human resources development mainly through training, short-term courses in public and private Malaysian training institutions. It also focuses on the provision of scholarships for eligible participants to further their studies in Malaysian universities.

“Compulsory education in Malaysia which has been implemented since 2003 is limited to only six years of primary schooling In line with the global development of compulsory education, which establishes a period of 8 to 12 years of schooling, Malaysia also intends to extend the existing period of compulsory education,” said researchers Juliana Janjang, Aida Hamid and Mohammed Yusoff Mohd Nor.

However, according to the UKM Journal Article Repository, there are four main themes of challenges faced by parents in implementing Malaysia’s 12-year compulsory education policy such as financial issues, school-related challenges, difficulties managing their children’s education, and issues faced by the children themselves.

Analysts stress proper implementation

Nubi Achebo, director of academic planning at Nigeria University of Technology and Management (NUTM), stressed that though the policy is a good one on paper for Nigeria, implementation is key to its success.

“This change seeks to standardise the curriculum, reduce dropout rates, and better prepare students for higher education or employment,” Achebo said.

“Ultimately, the success of the proposed 12-year basic education plan depends on effective implementation, adequate resources and a commitment to addressing the underlying challenges in Nigeria’s education system,” he further said.

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Achebo emphasised that the policymakers must significantly invest in teacher training and resources to enable the model to succeed.

Jessica Osuere, chief executive officer at RubbiesHub Educational Services, said the minister must, first, explain to Nigerians what he means by ‘uninterrupted education system in the 12-year policy.’

However, she maintained that whatever policy adopted must align with global practices, with emphasis on digital literacy, vocational education and competency-based education.

She said Nigeria should be sure it has the resources to prosecute the initiative and ensure it addresses skills gaps and equips students to favourably compete with their counterparts globally.

“The main focus for me should be on the contents of the curriculum that will prepare our children for the future in an ever- changing world,” she said.

‘This is not what Nigeria needs now’

However, Audu Amba, president of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), said Nigeria’s education sector needs adequate funding to improve its outcomes, noting that working conditions for teachers must be improved. Amba said a change of model is not what Nigeria needs now.

“Whether it’s 6-3-3-4, 9-3-3, or 12-4, the fundamental issue is funding. How committed is the government to funding this system to avoid issues like frequent strikes?” Amba queried.