Should We Let Students Leave School Earlier?

Jagdish Singh Malhi, Director of Student Recruitment & Marketing, University of Nottingham Malaysia | Chan Soon Seng, CEO, Teach For Malaysia

12-Aug-25 12:00

Should We Let Students Leave School Earlier?

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Former economy minister Rafizi Ramli says letting students finish school at 16 could get Malaysians into the workforce by 21, giving the economy a boost as the population ages. Critics warn it could leave young people underprepared and deepen inequality.

With Parliament having just made secondary education compulsory until 17, is Malaysia ready to rethink the school-leaving age, and what would it mean for universities, employers, and the students themselves?

Jagdish Singh Malhi, Director of Student Recruitment and Marketing at University of Nottingham Malaysia, and Chan Soon Seng, CEO of Teach For Malaysia, join us to explore the opportunities, risks, and what it would take to make such a change work.

Produced by: Richard Bradbury, Carol Wong

Presented by: Richard Bradbury

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Categories: economy, education

Tags: malaysia education policy, school leaving age malaysia, workforce readiness, youth employment, talent pipeline,

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