- Education Ministry rolls out a new preschool curriculum, centred on six core learning domains to support children’s holistic development.
- Curriculum emphasises socio-emotional growth, health, literacy and values, integrating age-appropriate wellbeing, moral and citizenship education.
- Aim is to nurture balanced and confident learners, equipped with essential skills, strong values and readiness for future learning.
The Ministry of Education has introduced a new preschool curriculum for the current school session, with a strong focus on six core learning domains designed to support the holistic development of young children, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said. Announcing the initiative through a Facebook post, the minister said the revised curriculum reflects the ministry’s commitment to nurturing well-rounded learners by addressing not only academic readiness, but also emotional, physical, moral and social growth from an early age.
Fadhlina said the first key area of focus is socio-emotional development, which aims to help children recognise and manage their emotions while learning to build positive relationships with peers, teachers and their surrounding environment. She explained that early exposure to socio-emotional learning would support children in developing empathy, self-awareness and resilience, which are essential foundations for lifelong learning and healthy social interaction.
On physical development and personal wellbeing, the minister said the curriculum places strong emphasis on health awareness. This includes encouraging healthy eating habits, good hygiene practices and basic safety awareness. She added that reproductive and social health education, known as PEERS, has been incorporated in an age-appropriate manner to help children develop a basic understanding of their bodies, personal boundaries and respectful behaviour.
The language and literacy domain is designed to strengthen children’s communication skills while introducing them to foundational literacy concepts. Fadhlina said the aim is to nurture confidence in speaking and listening, as well as to cultivate an early interest in reading and language that will support learning in later years.
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She also highlighted the importance of the spirituality, values and citizenship domain, which is structured around Islamic education, moral education and citizenship education. For Muslim children, she said Islamic education will cover basic religious knowledge, values and daily practices, including an introduction to Jawi writing. Moral education, she added, focuses on instilling values such as honesty, compassion, respect and diligence through fun and engaging activities that encourage positive behaviour. Citizenship education is intended to help children understand their rights and responsibilities, foster a sense of patriotism and encourage care for family, community and country.
In the area of creativity and aesthetics, Fadhlina said children will be encouraged to explore their environment, develop imagination and express themselves through visual arts, music, movement and drama. She noted that such activities play an important role in building confidence and emotional expression. Meanwhile, the cognitive domain seeks to stimulate curiosity and exploration, guiding children to think systematically, interact with others, share ideas and solve problems in age-appropriate ways.
Expressing her hopes for the new curriculum, the minister said it is designed to produce balanced, confident and globally competitive learners. She added that by equipping children with essential skills, strong values and a positive learning attitude from an early age, the curriculum aims to prepare them to thrive in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.
