PARENTS, teachers and students will need to sacrifice their time or double up on lessons in school if they want the academic year to start in January before 2026, National Parent-Teacher Association president Mohamad Ali Hasan said.

He said this after the Education Ministry announced that the academic year will only begin in January in 2026. Until then, the school year will start in March for 2024, while the 2025 session will begin in February.

“If the parents, students and teachers can sacrifice their time and perhaps double up on their lessons, it (start of the academic year) can be shortened (brought forward to January sooner than scheduled).

“(But) I don’t think people will agree to that,” Ali told The Malaysian Insight.

He was responding to queries from parents who wanted to know why the ministry could not return the start of the school year to January next year or the following year.

On Tuesday, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the school year will open in January from 2026 to ensure teaching and learning can be conducted optimally during an academic year that lasts between 32 and 36 weeks.

The Education (School Terms Days and Holidays) Regulations 1998, which states a school term should not be fewer than 190 days, was considered when deciding the move, the ministry said in a separate statement.

Ali said instead of making announcements in parliament and issuing statements, the ministry should give out circulars to parents, explaining the decision.

“The right thing for the ministry to do is, explain why they need to wait until 2026,” he said.

Ali also said the matter should not be politicised.

‘Start of academic year not important’

Parent Action Group for Education chairman Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said the start of the academic year should not be given sole importance or be prioritised.

She expressed her concern over the severely disrupted academic and social progress over the past years caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It is whether or not students are able to achieve the level of education expected of them before they are elevated post-Covid,” she said.

“We are concerned that since schools have reopened, the learning loss has not been adequately addressed.”

Schools were closed for a lengthy period during the pandemic, with most students adapting to home-based learning.

Many struggled with home-based learning due to a lack of devices and internet connection at home, leaving them with “learning loss”. – May 25, 2023.