Malaysia Education Ministry announces math interventions after PISA score decline

Malaysia’s Deputy Education Minister, Wong Kah Woh, has announced intensified interventions following a decline in the country’s mathematics scores in the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). The score dropped to 397, the lowest since Malaysia joined the assessment. The ministry plans to implement the Malaysia Mathematics Education Transformation Plan 2026, which includes identifying learning gaps as early as Year One and improving teacher subject matching.

During a special session in the Dewan Rakyat, Wong addressed concerns raised by Member of Parliament Wee Ka Siong regarding whether Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) grade adjustments were being used to mask declining mastery. Wong denied these claims, stating that “standard fixing is conducted to ensure exam results are fair, reliable, and comparable across cohorts” and is a practice used by examination boards globally.

Analysis of the PISA data suggests that Malaysian students struggle with applying mathematical concepts, reasoning, and knowledge to new situations, rather than just basic calculation. Other cited challenges include teachers being assigned to subjects outside their training and declining parental involvement in home learning.