Kuala Lumpur (VNA)ꦡ - Malaysia’s Ministry of Education has launched a nationwide programme to retrain over 100,000 teachers in the use of digital tools in teaching and learning.

This initiative is part of the country’s effort to implement the ASEAN Education Work Plan for 2021–2025. Speaking at the Empowering Education Summit 2025 under the theme “Shaping the ASEAN’s Future of ASEAN through Skills and Innovation”, Minister of Education Fadhlina Sidek said the initiative is supported by Google for Education, UNESCO, and local universities. The goal is to enhance teachers’ digital pedagogical skills and transition from passive knowledge delivery to cultivating active learning, creativity, critical thinking, and lifelong learning. Minister Fadhlina noted that Malaysia is also strengthening collaboration between the education sector and stakeholders, including public and private sector partners, to design training programmes aligned with the practical needs of various industries. As a key example, she cited collaboration in Johor and Penang between the electrical and electronics (E&E) industry and vocational institutions to develop semiconductor-focused training pathways. In addition, some schools have begun piloting the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to personalise student learning, detect early signs of dropout risks, and apply timely interventions. Besides, Malaysia is expanding integrated teaching and learning initiatives in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) to make STEM education more accessible to students in rural and disadvantaged areas. With a longstanding bilingual education system in Malay and English, the Ministry of Education is now expanding optional language programmes to include languages of ASEAN countries such as Thai, Khmer, and Vietnamese, to promote intra-regional cooperation. Malaysia believes ASEAN’s strength lies in its cultural, linguistic, and traditional diversity. To unlock this potential, the region must empower its youth to be multilingual, adaptable, and culturally literate./.