{"id":8829,"date":"2025-01-21T23:12:40","date_gmt":"2025-01-21T15:12:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teachformalaysia.org\/?p=8829"},"modified":"2025-01-21T23:12:40","modified_gmt":"2025-01-21T15:12:40","slug":"strengthening-remedial-education-a-closer-look-at-pemulihan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teachformalaysia.org\/my\/strengthening-remedial-education-a-closer-look-at-pemulihan\/","title":{"rendered":"Strengthening Remedial Education: A Closer Look at Pemulihan"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many students in Malaysia still enter primary school without the necessary foundational literacy and numeracy skills to set them up for success. Over <\/span>120,000 Standard 1 students<\/span><\/a> in the 2024\/2025 academic session need support in these critical areas, meaning that around 27% of the cohort are struggling with basic foundational skills.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This aligns with findings that <\/span>24% of children<\/span><\/a> entering primary school lack the necessary school-readiness skills to navigate the transition into formal schooling, with this issue being most prevalent among children from lower-income backgrounds. These gaps can be attributed to varying levels of access to and quality of preschool education, alongside other factors that influence a child’s readiness for school.<\/span><\/p>\n

Remedial Education in Malaysia<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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Two key programmes currently exist in our public education system to address the gap in foundational skills: <\/span>Intervensi and Pemulihan<\/span><\/i>. <\/span>Intervensi<\/span><\/i> provides short-term and immediate support to Standard 1 students who struggle with foundational skills through a three-month intensive programme focused on the 3Ms \u2014 membaca (reading), menulis (writing), and mengira (numeracy). Students who do not achieve the required proficiency after this period would typically be placed in <\/span>Pemulihan<\/span><\/i> classes in Standard 2 onwards, where they will receive ongoing tailored support until they master the foundational skills.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pemulihan <\/span><\/i>classes occur during school hours but unlike mainstream classes, <\/span>Pemulihan<\/span><\/i> offers a smaller, more focused learning environment that allows teachers to address individual learning gaps. <\/span>Pemulihan<\/span><\/i> students attend these classes during their Malay and Mathematics periods and rejoin their mainstream peers for other subjects. Each primary school typically has a dedicated <\/span>Pemulihan<\/span><\/i> teacher who works with students across different grades and ability levels. Students will attend <\/span>Pemulihan<\/span><\/i> classes until they successfully pass the required assessment, after which they can exit and remain in mainstream classes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Challenges with Remedial Intervention<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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Learning Disruptions and Systemic Issues<\/strong><\/p>\n

Learning disruptions often occur when students miss school due to various factors, disrupting the continuity of learning and hindering the mastery of foundational skills. Extended breaks, such as school holidays or even weekend gaps, impede memory retention and skill development. Hence, <\/span>parental involvement in a child\u2019s education<\/span><\/a> is crucial, as the reinforcement of learning and continuous practice at home can significantly improve outcomes. Therefore, for remedial interventions to be successful, increasing parental awareness and engagement is vital so they can actively support their children\u2019s learning.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, many Pemulihan students come from lower-income and marginalised families facing barriers like poverty, which impede regular school attendance. Additionally, some students with special needs remain undetected in Pemulihan classes, missing the specialised support they need. Each school is also typically assigned one Pemulihan teacher, regardless of size or the number of students. This practice affects the quality and amount of instructional time for Pemulihan students, with some teachers being underutilised in smaller schools and some facing limited contact hours with their students.<\/span><\/p>\n

Addressing these systemic issues is essential for enhancing the effectiveness of remedial education and ensuring that all students receive the targeted support necessary to thrive in their educational journey.<\/span><\/p>\n

Difficulties Transitioning to Mainstream Classes<\/b><\/p>\n

Another challenge arises when <\/span>Pemulihan<\/span><\/i> students transition back into the mainstream classroom. Many students who exit <\/span>Pemulihan <\/span><\/i>often struggle to keep up with the pace and demands of the mainstream curriculum. This may not be surprising as the focus of <\/span>Pemulihan<\/span><\/i> is primarily on building basic reading and numeracy skills rather than higher-level comprehension. Thus,<\/span> Pemulihan<\/span><\/i> students cannot be expected to perform at the same level as their mainstream peers upon exit. However, mismatched expectations can sometimes result in students being “bounced back” into <\/span>Pemulihan<\/span><\/i>. These students need a structured approach to support them during this transition so they can integrate successfully into mainstream classes and eventually catch up with their peers. Therefore, close collaboration between <\/span>Pemulihan<\/span><\/i> and mainstream teachers is crucial to ensure these students receive the ongoing support they need even after exiting <\/span>Pemulihan<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Limited Professional Development Opportunities for Remedial Teachers<\/b><\/p>\n

Teachers\u2019 capacity to deliver remedial learning plays a critical role in the success of remedial interventions. However, not all <\/span>Pemulihan<\/span><\/i> teachers are specially trained in remedial education, and their continuous professional development (CPD) opportunities are often limited. As each school typically has only one <\/span>Pemulihan<\/span><\/i> teacher, the role can also feel isolating, with few opportunities for collaboration or idea exchange with peers. Given that the effectiveness of remedial programs is largely dependent on the teacher’s ability to provide targeted interventions, it is essential to invest in building a robust network of resources and professional development for <\/span>Pemulihan<\/span><\/i> teachers. Supporting remedial teachers with ongoing training and a strong support system will ensure they are equipped to meet the diverse needs of their students. As outlined in a <\/span>previous article<\/span><\/a>, investing in teachers is key to improving educational outcomes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Initiatives to Strengthen Remedial Education\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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Teach For Malaysia (TFM) is implementing the Program Kemahiran Asas LIterasi dan numeraSi (KALIS)<\/strong> to strengthen existing remedial interventions. This initiative is part of Program Anak Kita, a collaboration between the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Ministry of Finance (MOF), driven by Unit Pantau Madani and Yayasan Hasanah to address critical literacy and numeracy gaps among students across Malaysia. <\/span>
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\n<\/span>Program Anak Kita is a collective effort which brings together government agencies, non-profit and civil society organisations, and schools, united by the shared purpose of tackling learning loss and educational gaps. This collective approach leverages the resources and strengths of various sectors to ensure the success of the learning recovery initiative.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

TFM\u2019s KALIS programme will involve 105 schools across six districts in Johor and is projected to benefit over 4,200 <\/span>Pemulihan<\/span><\/i> students. The programme is designed around three strategic intervention strategies:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Direct Student Intervention:<\/b> Teachers will utilise the KALIS tool kit, an innovative resource designed by TFM\u2019s Alumni-founded organisations, MyReaders and Doodlecare Resources, to deliver specialised literacy and numeracy interventions directly to students.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Teacher Capacity Development:<\/b> Teachers will undergo capacity building and one-to-one coaching sessions to enhance their skills and school leadership capabilities, ensuring sustained impact in their classrooms and beyond.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Ecosystem Engagement and Enablement:<\/b> Collaboration with key stakeholders, including partnerships with the Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri Johor and Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah to create an enabling environment for educational transformation in the schools involved.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Additionally, teachers are supported by various funds that enable them to implement sustainable and practical solutions in their classrooms. <\/span>The KALIS programme aims to improve student outcomes and empower <\/span>Pemulihan<\/span><\/i> teachers by enhancing their capacity and leadership skills. <\/span>This dual approach ensures both immediate impact and long-term improvements in teaching and learning practices.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The challenge of addressing foundational skill gaps is not unique to Malaysia \u2014 it’s a global issue that many countries are grappling with, leading to innovative initiatives worldwide. In India, Pratham\u2019s <\/span>Teaching At The Right Level<\/b><\/a> approach groups students by learning level rather than age or grade, offering short, intensive lessons to improve literacy and numeracy. The initiative leverages volunteers from the community to deliver the intervention and has been successful in low-resource settings. In Indonesia, the<\/span> INOVASI Programme<\/b><\/a> adopts an iterative approach to improve literacy and numeracy by collaborating with local stakeholders to co-design and pilot solutions which can be scaled.<\/span><\/p>\n

    A Shared Purpose<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    The challenges of remedial education are not insurmountable, and various initiatives have proven effective in helping students master foundational skills. Programmes like Program Anak Kita and KALIS are valuable opportunities to strengthen existing efforts and enhance the effectiveness of remedial interventions. By embracing a shared purpose and working collectively, we can \u2014and must\u2014 address foundational learning gaps to ensure every child receives the necessary support to thrive and succeed.<\/span><\/p>\n

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    Want to read more about what we have to say? Click\u00a0sini<\/a>\u00a0to read our collection of Ed Pulse articles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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