Speaking on the “Suara Anak Madani” programme with Shamsul Iskandar Akin last night, Fadhlina said that although many countries faced the pandemic’s impact, the Malaysian government’s initiatives had set the nation apart in terms of how it dealt with it.

“How matters of the internet, devices, and children’s access to education were handled – including the decision to close schools for a longer period – set us apart from other countries, and had an impact on education results and our children.

“We cannot wait for Pisa scores to be released before we start making plans. I don’t think that is what we are doing in the (education) ministry,” she said.

Fadhlina said that the priority now was to implement programmes to strengthen literacy and numeracy.

“We must remobilise in terms of access to education, look at the dropout rates, see which states have achieved zero dropout rates, and so on.

“We are also launching a digital education policy, which is our focus with regards to the development of the nation’s direction. We cannot compromise on this. Whatever happens, our children cannot be left behind given this policy.”

The latest Pisa scores show that Malaysian 15-year-olds scored 409 in maths (down from 440 previously) and 416 in science (down from 438 in 2018). In reading, Malaysians scored 388, down from 415.

Only 1.2% of Malaysian students were excellent at maths, and only 0.5% were good at science. Less than half, or just 42%, were good at reading.

The Pisa study gauges the readiness of 15-year-olds receiving formal education to seamlessly adapt to contemporary society. The assessment took place from April 17 to May 31, 2022 across 199 schools, including private schools.