Form 6 to stay under education ministry, says Anwar

Speaking at the education ministry's monthly assembly, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim emphasised the importance of Form 6 students seeing themselves as post-school, pre-university students. (Bernama pic)PUTRAJAYA: The Form 6 programme will remain under the purview of the education ministry but distinct from secondary school education, says Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.Speaking at the education ministry's monthly assembly today, Anwar emphasised the importance of Form 6 students seeing themselves as post-school, pre-university students."For now, I have decided that the pre-university programme, or Form 6, will remain under the education ministry."We recognise them as being in post-secondary education, although they are still in the pre-university stage. However, the programme will continue to be administered by the education ministry because of issues involving the existing system, teachers and other related matters," he said.Anwar said even if the Form 6 programme is conducted on the same campus as a secondary school, it must be housed in a dedicated block, with principals managing it as a separate programme.For example, he said Form 6 students should have their own assembly, separate from that of students in Form 5 and below.“They should receive separate recognition instead of being regarded as part of the secondary school, even though they share the same campus,” he said.He added that the government would review the implementation again in coming years.In April, higher education minister Zambry Abdul Kadir said his ministry was finalising the legal and administrative framework to bring the Form 6 and matriculation programmes under its jurisdiction.Anwar had announced in January that the higher education ministry would take over the pre-university education system for Form 6 and matriculation from this year, formally recognising both groups as higher education students.The reclassification was implemented following concerns that the Form 6 programme had been "neglected" in comparison with matriculation and other pre-university pathways.