Malaysian students report higher cyberbullying rates than OECD average

Education minister Fadhlina Sidek said child protection efforts must also take into account the digital environment, which had now become part of their daily lives. (AFP pic)PUTRAJAYA: Malaysian students report higher rates of cyberbullying than the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average, with the problem linked to lower learning outcomes.Education minister Fadhlina Sidek said the finding, which was based on the results of the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa), was among the issues that needed to be taken seriously.“There is another Pisa finding that I think we must take seriously, namely cyberbullying.“The rate of cyberbullying reported by Malaysian students is 5%, higher than the OECD average of 3%, and it is associated with lower learning outcomes,” she told a press conference at the education ministry.Fadhlina said bullying among children was no longer confined to the school environment, as technology allowed the harassment to continue even after they returned home.She said the safety and wellbeing of students were not secondary concerns, as they were closely linked to their ability to learn and develop.“A child who is constantly afraid will find it difficult to learn. A child who is constantly hurt will find it difficult to develop,” she said.Fadhlina said child protection efforts must also take into account the digital environment, which had now become part of their daily lives.“Their world does not stop at the school gates.

It follows them on their phones, in chat groups and in digital spaces,” she added.In a related development, Fadhlina said Malaysian students’ reading performance improved in Pisa 2025, but literacy challenges had become more complex due to their exposure to various sources of information, including TikTok, WhatsApp, search engines and artificial intelligence.The 2025 Pisa study in Malaysia was conducted from April 22 to May 30, involving 157 schools and educational institutions under the education ministry, as well as non-ministry institutions, including private schools, Mara Junior Science Colleges and GiatMara institutions.A total of 7,624 15-year-old students took part.The overall 2025 Pisa rankings have yet to be released and the ministry is currently focussing on the results for individual assessment domains. The latest Pisa scores showed that Malaysian 15-year-olds scored better in science and reading than in previous years.PUTRAJAYA: Malaysian students improved in science and reading but performed worse in mathematics in the latest Programme for International Student Assessments (Pisa) results.Education minister Fadhlina Sidek said Malaysian 15-year-olds’ performance in science in 2025 rose three points to 419, reading increased five points to 393, while mathematics fell 11 points to 397.Administered by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Pisa is a triennial survey of 15-year-old students that assesses their acquisition of key knowledge and skills essential for full participation in society.Fadhlina said the gains in science and reading were encouraging, particularly as the OECD’s average score for reading declined last year. However, she stressed that the drop in the mathematics score required attention.“This is progress that we should take note of,” she said at a press conference at the education ministry here.“However, we need to take a serious look at our students’ decline in mathematics.”Malaysia scored 484 in computational problem-solving, placing it among six countries with performances exceeding expectations, Fadhlina said.The Pisa findings showed that Malaysian students felt they received strong support from their teachers, which the minister said was a positive trend that should be strengthened.However, she said the Pisa findings also showed that parental support for children’s learning had declined.“This is not about finding someone to blame.

This is about listening to what our children need from the adults around them,” she said.Fadhlina said the education ministry would first analyse the latest Pisa results before announcing Malaysia’s overall ranking.