Official data lay behind a claim that religious schools outperform national schools, says Kangar MP Zakri Hassan of Bersatu.
He said the claim was based on state education department data on the academic results of four religious schools in Perlis.
Zakri told FMT that the four schools were among the top eight schools with best performance in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examinations in 2023 and 2024.
“The data was obtained from the state education department, and showed the average grade of the students who took the exam,” Zakri said.
Last week, Zakri had stated in the Dewan Rakyat that religious schools outperformed national schools, and proposed that the government build more religious schools to meet growing demand from parents.
He said many parents were sending their children to Islamic schools based on the schools’ academic results and holistic teaching. However only high-performers were accepted, while those who didn’t do too well were transferred to secular schools.
Zakri, a former teacher, said the religious schools and public schools used the same syllabus. “But religious schools place more emphasis on student development, including how to become an upright citizen,” he said.
Education activist Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim, chairman of the Parent Action Group for Education, said there was a “case for expanding access” if there was indeed a demand for such schools.
However it must be balanced with maintaining diversity in the education system.
“Excessive concentration in one school type could limit students’ exposure to wider worldviews. A narrow curriculum can limit STEM (science technology, engineering and mathematics) and critical thinking skills,” she said.
She also said that academic outcomes depended on teaching quality, resources, and curriculum instead of the type of school. She said a 2018 World Bank study revealed that the differences in academic performance were linked to socioeconomic status and resources.
Mak Chee Kin of the Melaka Action Group for Parents in Education said it would be better to improve the overall education system to ensure equal opportunities for all students.
