SS 11.10.2026 OPENING OUR SCHOOLS IS NOT A REFUGEE POLICY - Opening Our Schools is not a Refugee Policy

Oct 12, 2026

Opinion piece arguing against opening Malaysia’s government schools to refugee children as a default policy. It cites overcrowded classrooms, overworked teachers, and rising education costs, while noting Malaysia lacks a comprehensive refugee framework and has not signed the 1951 UN Refugee Convention. The article contends that educating refugees is humanitarian, but integrating them into national schools creates long-term obligations: funding, eligibility boundaries, legal status after graduation, and security concerns. It recommends strengthening existing UNHCR-supported learning centres and seeking broader international resettlement and financing support.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLifestyle

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Core argument

Education vs institutional integration

Policy prerequisites and funding questions

Alternative learning centres and international responsibility

SEKTOR DOKUMENTASI PENDIDIKAN BPPDP, Kementerian Pendidikan Aras SB-4, Blok E8, Kompleks E, Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan 62604 Putrajaya. Tel : 03-8884 6425 Faks : 03-8884 6284 TARIKH : 11 OKTOBER 2026 (AHAD) ./ BERITA HARIAN c::J UTUSAN M'SIA CJ N. STRAITS TIME CJ THE STAR 􀀔IZ:J SINAR HARIAN CJ Open · ng our schoos · ......________not a refugee policy S'f ll-lo·􀃍X PG.--13 IT'S a bad idea for Malaysia to open government schools to refugees. The reasons are simple: Our dassrooms are already crowded, teachers are overworked, and the cost of running schools continues to rise as we grapple with limited resources and quality of education. While it is difficult to argue against educating refugee children, opening our national school system to them could create more problems than it solves. Schools are not the answer to . every refugee, asylum seeker, and undocumented migrant issue. Last week, Seputeh MP Teresa Kok called on the Education · Ministry to allow refugee children to enrol in government schools, with support from the UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency) and its partners. She noted that of the 64,224 registered refugee children in Malaysia, roughly 64%, or 41,745 children, lack access to formal education, according to news reports. The reaction to her suggestion, cutting across racial lines, was swill, with many online commentators angrily rejecting her proposal. This, however, should not be framed as an argument against educating refugee children. Far from it. It is an argument about how we educate them, who pays for it, what system they enter, and what happens after they graduate. Malaysia never signed the 1951 UN Refugee Convention. Refugees and asylum seekers also do not have a formal legal status under Malaysian law. The country therefore does not have a comprehensive refugee framework covering their rights,. responsibilities, employment,· education, and eventual departure or resettlement. This makes the question of opening our national school system an even more serious policy issue. It is one thing to provide humanitarian assistance. It is quite another to create an institutional arr8!1gement that could On The Beat WONG CHUN WAI become a long-term obligation for the country. Malaysia has already faced considerable challenges in managing the Rohingya refugee situation, and successive governments have struggled to formulate a comprehensive and sustainable refugee policy. Opening the doors of the national school system is therefore a much bigger policy decision than simply finding an extra chair in a classroom. Malaysia already has a parallel -network of refugee learning centres. UNHCR says there are about 160 such centres in Peninsular Malaysia, while its 2025 report · recorded 179 centres, supported SEKTOR DOKUMENTASI PENDIDIKAN BPPDP, Kementerian Pendidikan Aras SB-4, Blok ES, Kompleks E, Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan 62604 Putrajaya. Tel : 03-8884 6425 Faks : 03-8884 6284 TARSERITIKAHHA:R1I1ANOKTOOUBERTUSA2N0M2'S6I(AAHALJD) N. STRAITS TIME LJ THE STAR.JZ'.I SINAR HARIAN 0 through partnerships. The agency has reported that the system remains badly underfunded, with only about 35% of school-age refugee children accessing any form of education in 2025. If that is the case, international organisations and developed countries that have highlighted the plight of refugees should do more to fund these education centres and provide greater support for Malaysia. If the countries are genuinely concerned about thelong-term welfare ofrefugees, they should also beprepared to accept more of them for resettlement. Yes, it is difficult to argue against a child wanting togo to school. Whatever his or her nationality, religion, or circumstances, a child should have the opportunity to learn, make friends, play football, sit for examinations, and dream ofbecoming a doctor, engineer, teacher, or whatever else he or she wants tobe. So when the questi

FAQs

Why does the article oppose opening Malaysian government schools to refugees as a default policy?

It argues Malaysia’s classrooms are already crowded, teachers are overworked, and education costs keep rising under limited resources, so opening schools would create more long-term problems than it solves.

What legal and policy gaps does the article highlight in Malaysia’s refugee approach?

It states Malaysia has not signed the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and refugees/asylum seekers lack formal legal status, meaning there is no comprehensive framework covering rights, education, employment, security, and eventual departure or resettlement.

What alternative does the article recommend instead of admitting refugee children into government schools?

It recommends strengthening and expanding existing refugee learning centres supported through partnerships, with greater funding and support from the international community, rather than making national schools the default solution.

Oct 12, 2026

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