PUTRAJAYA: Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek announced that the ministry has introduced various initiatives to counter the declining interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects among students. While specific details of these measures were not disclosed, Fadhlina expressed confidence in their future success, citing the effectiveness of prior interventions that improved student performance in Bahasa Malaysia and History in the 2024 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) results.
Speaking at a press conference, she emphasized the ministry’s commitment to these efforts, stating, “I am confident each intervention will yield results, showcasing the strength of our teachers in tackling this issue. We will not give up.”
The decline in STEM engagement has raised concerns, with Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad recently noting its potential impact on the future supply of medical students. Despite over 14,000 students achieving straight A’s in the 2024 SPM, interest in the science stream has significantly waned.
Ministry data from 2021 highlights the disparity, showing 42,257 students enrolled in Upper Form 6 humanities classes in 2019, compared to just 4,877 in the science stream. This number further dropped to 3,853 in 2020.
