13,424 Participants Enrolled In NPQEL Since 2015 - Wong

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 5 (Bernama) -- A total of 13,424 participants have enrolled in the National Professional Qualification for Educational Leaders (NPQEL) programme from 2015 until this year, said Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh.

Of the total, he said 1,350 participants were recorded in 2015, 1,675 in 2016, 1,672 in 2017, 1,455 in 2018, 1,106 in 2019, 996 in 2020, 1,020 in 2021, 685 in 2022, 690 in 2023, 1,123 in 2024 and 1,652 this year.

“As of July 9 this year, the filling rate for principal positions stood at 93 per cent, with 2,244 out of 2,409 positions filled.

“As for headmaster positions in primary schools, including special education primary schools, the filling rate is 98 per cent, involving 7,584 out of 7,734 positions,” he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Wong said this in response to a question from Kesavan Subramaniam (PH-Sungai Siput) regarding the number of NPQEL candidates recruited each year since 2015, as well as the number of principal and headmaster positions filled to date.

The NPQEL is a mandatory training and qualification programme for aspiring school principals, implemented by the Ministry of Education (MOE), aimed at developing leadership and school management competencies in a systematic and structured manner.

Wong said that over the past two years, the MOE had increased the number of NPQEL slots to 1,123 participants in 2024 and 1,652 this year as a long-term measure to meet the need to fill the positions.

He said a total of 2,271 principal and headmaster vacancies were expected to be filled between 2026 and 2027.

“As of Dec 31, 2024, 728 individuals were eligible for appointment, and by the end of that year, once NPQEL participants completed their course, we would be able to fill another 1,543 positions,” he said.

Wong said the process of filling the posts was also subject to other factors, such as the requirements of government-aided religious schools, national-type secondary schools and missionary schools.

He also said the MOE or the respective District Education Office would take into account the views of the school’s governing board and consider candidates proposed or presented by the board when filling the vacancies.

-- BERNAMA