RPN 2026–2030 Set To Elevate TVET As Core Pathway In National Education System

By Puti Iylia Maisarah Zol Azman

KUALA LUMPUR,  Feb 2 (Bernama) -- The National Education Blueprint (RPN) 2026–2035 is expected to significantly increase student participation in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), helping to dispel the long-held perception of the pathway as a “second choice”.

A senior lecturer at the Department of Advanced TVET, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Technology, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Dr Muhamad Afzamiman Aripin, said the RPN clearly positions TVET as a core pillar of the national education system in producing highly skilled and future-ready human capital.

He said the key mechanism to achieve the objective is the introduction of the Malaysian Learning Matrix at Year Four and Form Three levels, which enables students’ potential and talents to be identified at an earlier stage.

“This allows selection into Vocational Colleges, the Upper Secondary Vocational Programme (PVMA) and the Upper Secondary School Industry Apprenticeship Programme (PIMA) to be carried out more systematically, based on students’ genuine abilities rather than chance,” he told Bernama.

Muhamad Afzamiman said the skills emphasised under the RPN go beyond basic competencies, focusing instead on practical and technical skills that are forward-looking and aligned with future industry needs.

“These skills require students to operate at the highest levels of thinking, as outlined in Bloom’s Taxonomy, particularly the ability to create innovative and effective solutions to complex problems,” he said.

“This is the true spirit of TVET education...one that is application-driven, innovation-focused and oriented towards employability,” he said.

However, he stressed that the success of the RPN implementation will also depend on addressing critical challenges, including economic disparities, teacher workload, facility readiness, and the mental health and well-being of both educators and students.

Reflecting on past progress, he said that under the Malaysia Education Blueprint (PPPM) 2013–2025, TVET enrolment rose from 4.6 per cent in 2013 to 11.14 per cent in 2024.

Nevertheless, further improvements are needed to achieve the 20 per cent enrolment target, particularly through the implementation of the RPN, he added.

He said the RPN 2026–2035 represents a “reset” of Malaysia’s educational future and will be reinforced through the 2027 Education Curriculum, with a strong emphasis on competency development, character building, unity and nurturing students’ potential as global citizens.

Looking ahead to the 2035 target, Muhamad Afzamiman said Malaysia must prepare through three key phases: reshaping societal perceptions to elevate the prestige of TVET, expanding access to support systems, and strengthening graduate employability through close collaboration with industry.

“With the integration of TVET into the mainstream via the Learning Matrix and its early introduction at the primary school level, Malaysia is laying the foundation for a generation that is agile, skilled and resilient in facing increasingly complex global challenges,” he said.

The PRN 2026-2035 was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Jan 20 in Putrajaya and is jointly led by the Ministry of Higher Education (KPT) through the Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint 2026-2035 and the Ministry of Education through the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2026-2035.

-- BERNAMA