[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-131904-105":59,"doc-detail-131904-en":135},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":128,"head_meta":130,"extra_data":132,"updated_unix":134},105,"en","nst-straits-times-degrees-no-thanks-why-many-spm-holders-skip-university-education","NSt Straits Times - Degrees? No, thanks - Why many SPM holders skip university education","","SPM holders’ declining interest in enrolling in diplomas and degrees is driven by escalating tertiary education costs, making pathways such as degrees in arts, counselling, nursing science, economics, and medicine financially out of reach for many families. Evidence cited from government and Khazanah Research Institute studies links low perceived returns to weak graduate employment outcomes, including cases where large shares cannot find work. This contributes to mismatches between employers’ hiring expectations and academics’ degree preparation, while threatening Malaysia’s target for skilled workers by 2030.",{"@graph":69,"@context":127},[70,84,106],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/nst-straits-times-degrees-no-thanks-why-many-spm-holders-skip-university-education/131904/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/nst-straits-times-degrees-no-thanks-why-many-spm-holders-skip-university-education/131904.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Emma Wilson","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-21","2026-08-13",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":105},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",11,{"@type":107,"mainEntity":108},"FAQPage",[109,115,119,123],{"name":110,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":112},"What is the main policy concern behind the SPM enrollment decline?","Question",{"text":113,"@type":114},"Policymakers need to assess how many of the SPM candidates actually enrol in universities or tertiary institutions, instead of stopping at the examination stage.","Answer",{"name":116,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":117},"Why do many SPM holders lose interest in diplomas or degrees?",{"text":118,"@type":114},"Tertiary education is prohibitively expensive, and graduates often do not see clear returns through employment after graduation.",{"name":120,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":121},"What employment outcomes are highlighted in the document?",{"text":122,"@type":114},"Studies cited report that many graduates struggle to find employment, with one figure stating 40% could not secure jobs upon graduation.",{"name":124,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":125},"How does the trend affect Malaysia’s skilled-workers target for 2030?",{"text":126,"@type":114},"Lower tertiary uptake and reduced formal employment make it harder to reach the target share of skilled workers, given existing shortfalls and high proportions opting out.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":129,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":131,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":133,"site_id":62},131904,1786664358,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":136},{"doc_id":133,"user_id":137,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":138,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":139,"file_id":140,"file_url":141,"file_type":142,"file_size":143,"view_count":105,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":8,"language":144,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":145,"faqs":146,"seo_title":147,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":134,"read_time":81},3848291630094,"https://eur-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_085a072bc5b1113ac321206ff7593b45","UTUSAN M’SIA  \nDegrees?No,thanks  \nIt pays to get SPM holders to say yesNST 231s¹2024 Pg)2  \nIJIL Pelajaran Malaysia(SPM)exam results are out.While we can't blame educators and parents for beingfixated on stellar results,there is a far more criticalquestion for policymakers:how many of the 129,635who sat the examination will enrol in universities or tertiaryinstitutions?Ourguess is-guided by past trends—only halfof theeligible SPMholders would.Start with 2019.In thatyear,the Statistics Department disclosed ashocking number:71percent of SPM holders were not interested in continuing theirstudies.The following two years showed slight improve-ments,according to Education Ministry data,but still withinthe worry range for policymakers:35 per cent (2020)and 49percent(2021).Other surveys and polls conducted in2022 andlast year showed a return to the downward trend.    \nSEKTOR DOKUMENTASI PENDIDIKANBPPDP,Kementerian Pendidikan MalaysiaAras 1-4,Blok E8,Kompleks E,Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan62604 Putrajaya.Tel:03-88846425Faks:03-88846284                    \nN.STRAITS TIMES  \n# THE STAR\n\nThere are a few reasons for the lack of interest in diplomas ordegrees.First,tertiary education has become prohibitivelyexpensive.Consider a relatively popular course in one of the  \npremier public universities:Counselling SPMthe Bachelor of Arts in En-holders aloneglish at Universiti Malaya.won't help.For manyThis seven-semester degreecosts RM56,900.A degree inof them,'home'nursing science there costs aeconomics is at play.whopping RM133,000.Dare todo medicine?Be prepared toThey need to find jobsfork out a savings-emptyingto support theirfee of RM673,200.If thefamilies..course fees are this pro-hibitive for many Malaysians,imagine how many timesmore it will cost to sign up for  \na similar degree in private institutions.Little wonder,SPMholders have begun talking about the returns of investing intertiary education.Studies after studies,especially ones by theKhazanah Research Institute(KRI),tell us that many graduatesjust don't see their diplomasor degrees givingthem the returns.What is worse,one KRI study published this year said 40 percent of graduates could not findemployment upon graduation.The result?Some are forced to opt for low-skill jobs with lowpay.Others become informal workers.But a constant quarrelcontinues between employers and academics.Employers saygraduates are notemployable as they are made out to be.On theother hand,academics say the industries are not creating theright jobs for the degrees the graduates come armed with.A2022 study by KRI,“Fresh Graduate Adversities”,supports theacademics'view by disclosing that our industries are not cre-atingenough high-skilled jobs.  \n# SINAR HARIAN\n\nThe two trends—loss of interest in tertiary education andthe opting out of formal employment—have serious reper-cussions.One immediate effect will be on Malaysia's goal ofproducing 35 per cent skilled workers by 2030.Human Re-sources Ministry data suggest that the country has 28 per centskilled workers.To produce seven per cent more skilled work-ers in less than six years will be challenging,especially withclose to 50 per cent of SPM holders opting out of tertiaryeducation.Counselling SPM holders alone won't help.Formany ofthem,\"home\"economics is at play.They need to findjobs to support their families and make ends meet.Even ifsome of the 50 per cent SPM holders can be counselled intogoing to universities,they just lack the wherewithal to pay thefees.A deep dive for a long view is needed here.","cbCaispi5axjutpN","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaispi5axjutpN","pdf",230994,"English","# Degrees?No,thanks\n## The enrollment gap after SPM\n## Cost barriers and low perceived returns\n## Employment mismatch and graduate outcomes\n## Impact on Malaysia’s skilled-workers target","[{\"question\":\"What is the main policy concern behind the SPM enrollment decline?\",\"answer\":\"Policymakers need to assess how many of the SPM candidates actually enrol in universities or tertiary institutions, instead of stopping at the examination stage.\"},{\"question\":\"Why do many SPM holders lose interest in diplomas or degrees?\",\"answer\":\"Tertiary education is prohibitively expensive, and graduates often do not see clear returns through employment after graduation.\"},{\"question\":\"What employment outcomes are highlighted in the document?\",\"answer\":\"Studies cited report that many graduates struggle to find employment, with one figure stating 40% could not secure jobs upon graduation.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the trend affect Malaysia’s skilled-workers target for 2030?\",\"answer\":\"Lower tertiary uptake and reduced formal employment make it harder to reach the target share of skilled workers, given existing shortfalls and high proportions opting out.\"}]","NSt Straits Times - Degrees? No, thanks - Why many SPM holders skip university education | PDF"]