Dr Zaliha: Education gap widens amid economic hardship
She pointed to socio-economic challenges, particularly among low-income (B40) families, that have forced many students to sacrifice study time to support their families financially.
'In today's rapidly changing world, the education gap is widening. We must implement and sustain targeted interventions that address the root causes,' she told reporters after launching the 2025 Putrajaya Tuition Mission programme here today.
Dr Zaliha raised concerns over the more than 10,000 students absent from the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination in 2023, many due to financial strain at home.
'Some students have been forced to work as food delivery riders after school to cover their families' daily expenses, which impacts their ability to prepare for exams,' she said.
Dr Zaliha emphasised that the issue is not a lack of desire to learn, but that students with potential are hindered by life's hardships.
'These realities cannot be ignored and a clear link between poverty and school dropout rates is evident,' she added.
Earlier, the minister launched the initiative under the Usaha Jaya Insan Programme (PUJI), which aims to reduce student dropouts with a RM120,000 fund for learning materials, seminars, motivational sessions and tuition for 100 selected Putrajaya students.
Describing the programme as a long-term investment, Dr Zaliha said it would help break the cycle of social and economic hardship and believes it should be expanded to reach more needy children.
As a result, Dr Zaliha has instructed the Federal Territories Department to work with the Education Ministry to explore extending the initiative to Kuala Lumpur and Labuan.
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