Kuala lumpur: A significant number of students from private religious institutions, particularly maahad tahfiz (Tahfiz schools) and pondok (traditional religious schools), are at risk of being excluded from the mainstream education system, as many do not sit for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination. Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) Pro-Chancellor, Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom, highlighted this concern, emphasizing the limited opportunities these students face in pursuing higher education at public institutions.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Alimuddin, speaking at the Empowerment of Malay Education Convention at the Kuala Lumpur World Trade Centre (WTCKL), noted the growing trend of parents choosing private religious education for their children. He explained that there are 1,540 religious institutions nationwide with around 79,000 students, many of whom do not take the SPM due to the primary focus on producing huffaz (memorisers of the Quran) and a lack of funding.

To address this issue, Alimuddin proposed that public universities offer specialized programs for tahfiz and pondok students. He suggested that while students might be able to self-study subjects like Bahasa Melayu, History, and Islamic Education, subjects like English, Mathematics, and Science require teacher guidance. He recommended that public universities provide foundation courses for these students, allowing them to be assessed and potentially integrated into the mainstream education system based on their performance.

Alimuddin, a former Director-General of Education, pointed out that the implementation of such programs is feasible, as institutions like Universiti Sultan Azlan Shah (USAS), Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), and Malaysian Polytechnics already offer special programs for tahfiz graduates.