Deputy education minister Wong Kah Woh told the Dewan Rakyat that Phase 2 of the programme was held from October to December 2024.

Phase 1 was held before that involving a total of 122,062 pupils, with 48,308 able to master the 3R skills.

“Overall, 59.3% (of the 122,062 pupils), or 72,385, identified under the programme have successfully acquired basic 3R skills,” he said.

The 49,677 pupils who have yet to master the basic skills will continue under the Special Remedial Programme in Year 2.

Wong was responding to a question from Ahmad Saad (PN-Pokok Sena), who had asked about the main challenges schools faced in implementing the special remedial programme.

Wong said the challenges some Year 1 pupils faced in achieving 3R proficiency were not solely due to pedagogical issues but were also due to socioeconomic factors, student readiness and their home environment.

“A holistic approach involving parents, the community and the private sector is crucial in ensuring children receive sufficient support to master these basic skills,” he added.

The ministry will be placing a stronger emphasis on literacy and numeracy for lower primary pupils as part of its 2026 preschool and 2027 primary school curricula, he said.