SHAH ALAM, March 18 — The Education Ministry’s decision not to have academic classes in the first week of the 2023/2024 school session was made after conducting a review to ensure the circular will have an impact on the relevant parties, says Minister Fadhlina Sidek.
She said it was not easy for the ministry to cancel the original 34-year-old circular that was implemented when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim took office as Education Minister.
"It’s hard to cancel the circular from the boss himself. We took a long time to ensure that this circular can really have an impact on our children which will translate into cheerful students, happy teachers, unrivalled schools, and a thriving nation," she said.
The Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (Keadilan) women’s chief said this in her winding-up speech at the party’s Special National Congress at Malawati Stadium here today.
Education director-general Datuk Pkharuddin Ghazali was quoted as saying that no lessons would be held in the first week of the new academic year 2023/2024 beginning March 19 and 20 to make way for sessions that instil physical, emotional, spiritual, social and intellectual values.
The new academic year will start on March 19, 2023, to March 9, 2024, for Group A states, and March 20, 2023, to March 10, 2024, for Group B states.
Group A involves Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, while Group B covers Melaka, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.
— Bernama
