Academics have welcomed the education ministry’s plan to reintroduce “Alam dan Manusia” (Nature and Humanity) as a core subject for Level 1 primary pupils under the 2027 school curriculum.
Effendi Ewan Matore of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) said the subject incorporates many elements of science, while helping students appreciate nature, history, culture and society, and supporting holistic character development.
“The human elements in this subject are particularly meaningful in shaping the character of Level 1 primary pupils,” he told FMT.
Effendi was commenting on a Facebook post which revealed that the subject, renamed as “Alam dan Manusia: Integrated Learning”, will be part of a new six-core subject framework for Level 1 pupils.
The post, shared by UCSI University lecturer Othman Talib, noted that the other subjects are Bahasa Melayu, English, Mathematics, Islamic or Moral Education, and Physical Education.
Level 1 pupils currently take the same subjects, plus either Music or Visual Arts.
They do not include additional or elective subjects such as Mandarin, Tamil, or Arabic.
“Alam dan Manusia” was first introduced in 1982 under the Integrated Curriculum for Primary Schools (KBSR), but was replaced in 1994 by a combination of Science and Kajian Tempatan.
Effendi said the focus should be on content, assessment, and pedagogy rather than the number of subjects.
“At Level 1, children should enjoy learning through their surroundings. This can make them more sensitive and aware of the environment,” he said.
Othman said in the post that he was pleased that the Science subject previously opposed for Level 1 had been removed.
“Six core subjects for Level 1 pupils is a very reassuring number, and ‘Alam dan Manusia’ can be an engaging subject for children.
“Alam dan Manusia should be simplified based on phenomena around the pupils, integrated with art and music.
“Also, increase the time for Bahasa Melayu and Mathematics, as literacy and numeracy affect achievement in other subjects as well,” he said.
