Anuar Ahmad of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia said the specific challenges schools faced were best understood by headmasters who were closer to matters on the ground than ministry officials.

“They should not just have the right to manage, but to lead their schools. Headmasters should be empowered to plan the best for their students and teachers as they know their students better.

“Whatever decisions they make will certainly take into consideration the advice of the state education departments and district education offices, and align with the education ministry’s guidelines,” he told FMT.

Senator Mustafa Musa had suggested that headmasters be given the freedom or authority to plan for their schools based on the needs and abilities of their students.

The Melaka state education trust fund general manager said headmasters should not be constrained in terms of curricula nor “fed” ministry directives to the point of stifling creativity and innovation.

Anuar said the national education system should also be decentralised if the government wanted to increase student competitiveness and creativity.

He said each school should have their own strategies and plans according to their differing needs, and that headmasters of schools facing disciplinary issues, for example, should focus on such issues first.

Anuar said schools in rural areas might also face problems with attendance due to the long distances from students’ homes, which should take priority.

“If they do not resolve these issues first, the teaching and learning process will not go smoothly as the teachers will not be able to focus.

“Schools with no such issues can focus on their students’ abilities,” he said.

Parent Action Group for Education chairman Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim agreed that headmasters should be given more autonomy to tailor school curricula to their students’ abilities.

She said various professions required the mastery of both Bahasa Melayu and English, which the dual-language programme addressed.

“Students need a credit in Bahasa Melayu to become doctors, but also need to master English if they intend to become lawyers.

“Professional board examinations in medicine, engineering, and accountancy are also conducted in English.

“As such, headmasters should allow the teaching of science and mathematics in English,” she said.