OCTOBER 28 — We dream of becoming a technologically advanced nation, attracting investments in artificial intelligence, producing world-class engineers and competing in the global digital economy. Yet an uncomfortable question remains: How can Malaysia become a scientific powerhouse when so many of our children struggle with basic mathematics and science? We cannot keep celebrating technological ambitions while ignoring what is happening inside our classrooms.
The latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025 results should trouble us. Malaysia scored 397 in mathematics and 419 in science, both below the OECD averages. More disturbingly, only 35% of Malaysian students reached basic proficiency in mathematics. This means approximately two-thirds struggled to demonstrate the mathematical skills needed to solve everyday problems. Are we preparing our children for tomorrow, or merely helping them survive examinations today?
The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2023 delivered an equally uncomfortable message. Malaysia scored 411 in mathematics and 426 in science, declining from 461 and 465 respectively in 2019. We cannot continue blaming the pandemic indefinitely. Learning losses require recovery, not excuses. The real test of educational resilience is what we do after discovering our weaknesses.
Look at Singapore. Its students consistently perform among the world’s best, but their success is not simply about studying harder. Singapore places strong emphasis on mathematical reasoning, conceptual understanding and problem-solving. Students learn to explain how answers are obtained rather than merely memorising procedures. Malaysia must similarly move beyond repetitive exercises towards meaningful thinking.
Estonia offers another lesson. Its strong international performance demonstrates the value of trusting teachers and giving schools greater responsibility for instructional decisions. Our teachers need professional freedom to experiment, adapt lessons and respond to struggling learners, rather than spending excessive time documenting activities for administrative compliance.
Imagine introducing a nationwide Maths and Science Recovery Hour, where students spend one weekly session tackling practical challenges instead of completing another worksheet. Let them calculate household electricity consumption, investigate polluted rivers, design affordable water filters or compare food prices using mathematical reasoning. Science and mathematics should become tools for understanding Malaysian life, not frightening subjects confined to textbooks.
Schools could also establish Mistake-Friendly Classrooms, where students are rewarded for explaining unsuccessful attempts and improving their solutions. Resilience develops when children discover that being wrong is part of learning. A child who fears making mistakes will eventually fear asking questions. No country becomes innovative by teaching its children to remain silent.
We should also introduce short diagnostic assessments followed by targeted support, especially for pupils who have not mastered foundational numeracy. Universities, industries and local communities could adopt schools by providing mentoring, equipment and authentic scientific projects. Rural and disadvantaged schools deserve particular attention. Educational excellence must not depend on a family’s postcode or income.
However, students themselves must demonstrate determination. They should practise consistently, ask questions without embarrassment, explore scientific problems independently and refuse to accept the label that mathematics is simply too difficult. Parents must encourage curiosity instead of treating examination grades as the only evidence of intelligence.
Ultimately, improving PISA and TIMSS scores should not become another national obsession with rankings. These assessments are warning signals about whether our children can reason, investigate and solve unfamiliar problems. Malaysia does not lack talented children. What we cannot afford is a system that allows their talent to remain undiscovered. The question is no longer whether we can compete with Singapore, Japan or Estonia. It is whether we possess the courage, persistence and imagination to change how our children learn.
Our future engineers, scientists and innovators are sitting in today’s classrooms. Let us stop teaching them merely to answer questions and start preparing them to solve problems the world has yet to encounter.
* Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marini Kasim and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Noor Abdul Aziz are with the School of Education, Universiti Utara Malaysia.
** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
